3 Victims Hailed As Heroes After Deadly Shooting At San Diego Islamic Center

SAN DIEGO, CA — A security guard, a community member and a staff member were being remembered as heroes Tuesday after officials said their actions helped prevent additional deaths during a hate-fueled shooting at a San Diego mosque.

Two teenagers are believed to have fatally shot three victims Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, San Diego County's largest mosque.

"Those two young men do not represent our city," Mayor Todd Gloria said during a news conference Tuesday. "These three Muslim men do. Their heroism, their selflessness, represents the very best of this city."

"Our entire city is mourning," he added. "We will mourn these three heroes for what they are: heroes. We will remember their sacrifice always."

The security guard killed was identified as Amin Abdullah, 51, a father of eight and a well-known face at the mosque who had worked there for more than a decade.

"If it was not for him the carnage would be much worse," said Imam Taha Hassane, the director of the Islamic Center of San Diego. "He's the one who stopped them, who slowed them down."

The other two victims were identified as Mansour Kaziha, 78, and Nader Awad, 57.

The Islamic Center of San Diego includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and older, according to its website.

Students were in class when the shooting happened around 11:40 a.m. at the center at 7050 Eckstrom Ave. in the Clairemont neighborhood, according to the San Diego Police Department.

San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said Abdullah "played a pivotal role" in preventing the attack from claiming more lives.

The shooters ran past Abdullah, likely not seeing him, according to Wahl.

He immediately recognized the threat and engaged them with gunfire and they fired back, Wahl said. Surveillance video showed Abdullah reach for his radio and place the center and school on lockdown.

"The sound of the gunfire, all of the delay in that gun battle, allowed everybody to get out of the main common areas of the mosque and into areas of hiding," Wahl said.

"His actions without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects."

After Abdullah was fatally wounded, the shooters started going room to room but did not find anyone, thanks to the security guard's radio call. At one point, the suspects looked out a window, spotted the other two victims and ran outside, where they shot them in the parking lot, Wahl said.

"When they drew, obviously inadvertently, drew the attention of those gunmen out of the door, and out into the parking lot where they subsequently died, what was coming seconds away was hundreds of police officers that everybody that was there yesterday could see," Wahl said. "They immediately ran to their vehicle and fled the scene at that point. I truly believe that's what saved the 140 kids that were just inside."

Kaziha, known as AbuEzz, was a founding member and caretaker of the center. He managed the mosque's store for nearly four decades, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Hassane called him the "pillar" of the center.

"In the last 22 years being the imam and director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, I have never done anything without him," Hassane said. "He is on the top of my list for people to call. ... I don't know what I'm going to do at the Islamic Center without his assistance, his daily assistance. We miss him."

Hassane called Awad "our neighbor." Awad lived across the street from the center, where his wife works as a teacher.

Awad ran toward the center to help after hearing shots fired, officials said.

"When he heard the shooting, he rushed to do something, to protect," Hassane said.

Hassane was at the center when gunfire erupted. He said he was hiding upstairs until police arrived at the scene.

The Islamic Center of San Diego is fenced and equipped with security cameras and armed guards. The center also has lockdown drills and procedures.

Although the center has received hate mail and messages, Hassane said he never expected to see such a tragedy at the house of worship.

"My community is mourning," Hassane said. "My community is keeping our three heroes in their prayers. My community is around the three families trying to show support and sympathy."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations launched an online fundraiser with the Islamic Center of San Diego in support of the victims' families. As of Tuesday evening, nearly $2.4 million had been raised.

"All three of our victims did not die in vain," Wahl said.

"Without distracting the attention, without delaying the actions of these two individuals, without question there would have been many more fatalities yesterday."

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