A US Justice Department official said authorities discovered anti Islamic writings inside a vehicle linked to the two suspects accused of carrying out Monday’s shooting at an Islamic centre in San Diego, an attack that left three worshippers dead.
The official told Reuters that the two suspects were identified as Caleb Velasquez, 18, and Ken Clark, 17.
Police said the shooting is being investigated as a “hate crime” but declined to provide further details regarding a possible motive.
Authorities announced on Monday that both suspects were later found dead inside their vehicle following the attack, with investigators believing they died by suicide.
According to police, officers initially responded after receiving a call from the mother of one of the teenagers, who described her son as suicidal and reported that he had fled in her vehicle carrying three of her firearms.
Police were first dispatched to a nearby shopping centre and the teenager’s school before emergency calls were received reporting gunfire at the mosque.
Terror Inside the Islamic School
Images showing children from the Islamic school attached to the centre running through the gates while holding each other’s hands sparked widespread outrage over the attack targeting young students during school hours.
Witness accounts and statements circulating online suggested the two teenagers deliberately chose the morning hours for the attack, when the Islamic school was filled with children.
Reuters interviewed nine year old Odai Shanna, whose mother emigrated from Gaza Strip two decades ago.
The child said he was forced to hide alongside dozens of other students inside classrooms after gunfire erupted at the mosque where they study.
Odai said he heard a barrage of gunshots coming from outside the centre’s walls before teachers quickly directed students into a storage cupboard where they huddled together, trembling in fear, as another 12 to 16 gunshots rang out.
At one point after the shooting stopped, he said members of the police tactical response team shouted from outside the classroom, “Okay, open up,” before entering.
While police escorted them outside the building, Odai recalled seeing “a lot of bad things, people on the ground, yes, bad things”, referring to the victims’ bodies.
He added that his legs were shaking and that his hands and head were in severe pain.
Local authorities later confirmed that the gunmen never entered the mosque compound itself and that all students were accounted for and found safe after the attack.
Community Response After the Attack
A fundraising campaign organised by the San Diego chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations in cooperation with the Islamic centre successfully raised more than $1.7 million for the family of slain security guard Amin Abdullah, whom authorities praised for preventing further bloodshed.
Ahmed Kuru, a political science professor at San Diego State University who regularly attends the mosque and personally knew Abdullah, described him as “a hero” and a beloved member of the community.
President Donald Trump described the attack as “a horrific situation” and said his administration would examine the matter “very seriously”.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was shocked by the attack, stating that “worshippers anywhere should never fear for their lives”.
Writing on X, Newsom added: “Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terrorism or intimidation against religious communities. To the Muslim community in San Diego: California stands with you.”
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a press conference that the image which affected him most was “seeing the children running outside, grateful to be alive”.
Controversial Remarks Spark Backlash
Meanwhile, far right Jewish activist and commentator Laura Loomer, an ally of Trump, claimed the shooting was “likely staged by Muslims to push more Islamophobia laws and gain sympathy for Muslim invaders in America”.
Loomer openly identifies herself as anti Islam and has repeatedly promoted conspiracy theories over the years, including claims that the 11 September 2001 attacks were an inside job.
Professor Ahmed Kuru dismissed such rhetoric, saying inflammatory statements of this kind are not new and that “some people say bizarre things simply to attract public attention”.
Anti Muslim and anti Arab discrimination in the United States reached record levels last year.
According to CAIR, the organisation recorded 8,683 anti Muslim and anti Arab complaints in 2025, the highest annual figure since it began publishing data in 1996.
The report stated that most complaints involved workplace discrimination, immigration and asylum issues, in addition to hate related incidents.
