by Misty Severi
The San Diego Police Department said it believed there was at least one shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and that at least one suspected shooter is dead.
The San Diego Police Department confirmed Monday that the threat at an Islamic mosque has been "neutralized," following reports of an active shooter at the California religious center.
San Diego police chief Scott Wahl said five people died in the shooting, including two suspected shooters. The other three individuals were adults, but their identities have not yet been disclosed, according to NBC News.
Law enforcement sources identified the two suspected shooters as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, who allegedly died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. One of the victims was a mosque security guard.
The police have not listed a formal motive for the shooting but Wahl said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
"At this point, there was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved," he told reporters. "I’ll leave it at that for now.
"There was generalized hate rhetoric and speech," he continued, adding that no specific threat was made to "any facility or any place."
An imam at the center said teachers, students and other school staff members are safe.
“There is no threat at this moment, but we want everyone to stay away from the Islamic Center of San Diego,” the imam said. “We are closed for the rest of the day. Stay safe, stay at home, and make a lot of prayers.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office said the governor has been briefed on the situation.
“We are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities,” Newsom’s office said.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
Source: https://justthenews.com/index%2ephp/nation/crime/san-diego-police-says-threat-islamic-mosque-has-been-neutralized-after-reports-shooter
No comments:
Post a Comment