San Diego Mosque Attack: Students’ Drill Response and Security Heroics

The Islamic Center of San Diego, similar to many schools across the United States, had diligently prepared its students for the potential threat of an armed intruder. On Monday, when two armed teenagers attacked the mosque, these preparations were put to the ultimate test. According to a teacher’s assistant named Imani, who preferred to use only her first name, students in one classroom promptly executed their practiced response. ‘They went straight to business,’ she told NBC News. She emphasized that their quick action likely changed the outcome of the situation.

Authorities reported that the three individuals killed during the incident at the mosque, the largest in San Diego County according to its website, were all outside the premises. No one inside, including numerous students attending classes, was harmed, confirmed San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.

Among those who lost their lives was Amin Abdullah, a security guard who engaged the teenagers as they attempted to enter. Abdullah fired at them and quickly initiated a lockdown protocol via his radio, as detailed by Wahl to reporters. The mosque regularly conducts these drills multiple times each school year, as stated by Imam Taha Hassane. Abdullah had been with the mosque for several years and was well-versed with the safety system in place.

Police tape outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Tuesday.

In the firefight, Abdullah returned fire but was killed. However, Wahl pointed out that Abdullah ‘delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred’ the attackers from accessing areas populated by approximately 140 children.

Imani recounted how, upon hearing gunshots, she and a colleague immediately understood the gravity of the situation. ‘We told the kids this is not a shooting drill,’ she explained. ‘There is an active shooter, and let’s go.’

The students followed their training by moving to a corner of the classroom, staying low and ensuring the doors were securely shut. They maintained silence even as the gunmen attempted to breach the doors. ‘We are just so proud of them and their bravery,’ Imani shared. ‘They held it together.’

Flowers and candles outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Tuesday as hundreds gathered at nearby Lindbergh Park for a vigil.

Despite the attackers roaming room to room, security footage showed those areas were left empty. Tragically, two men, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad, were shot outside in the parking lot.

Imani expressed deep respect for the two victims, stating, ‘Each of those victims is worth more than 1,000 men. They are the reason all 140 of us made it out alive.’

The attackers, identified as Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, reportedly ended their lives after fleeing the scene. Investigators are working to authenticate a 75-page document possibly written by them, which law enforcement officials indicate contains anti-Islamic, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ views. The document also references accelerationism, a violent white supremacist ideology.

FBI official Mark Remily noted, ‘These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated.’