2 weeks ago
A information defender who was killed during nan shooting astatine a San Diego mosque connected Monday is being hailed arsenic a leader aft constabulary said that his actions “undoubtedly” saved lives.
On Monday, 2 teenagers opened occurrence astatine nan Islamic Center of San Diego, California, shooting and sidesplitting 3 men. The 2 attackers, aged 17 and 18, were recovered dormant respective blocks away, from evident self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said.
Among those killed was 51-year-old Amin Abdullah, a information defender astatine nan center.
Speaking astatine a news convention connected Tuesday, Scott Wahl, San Diego’s constabulary chief, said that nan 2 shooters ran past Abdullah, and that Abdullah “immediately observed nan threat to everybody astatine nan mosque” and “began to prosecute them pinch gunfire”.
“Both suspects returned fire,” Wahl said, adding that successful nan midst of nan “gun battle” Abdullah reached for his radio, and “put retired nan lockdown protocol” for nan center.
“His actions without a uncertainty delayed, distracted and yet deterred these 2 individuals from gaining entree to nan greater areas of nan mosque wherever arsenic galore arsenic 140 kids were wrong 15 ft of these suspects,” Wahl said. “Tragically, he died successful that weapon battle.”
The 2 different victims were identified arsenic 78-year-old Mansour Kaziha, described arsenic a mosque elder and founding personnel of nan center, and Nadir Awad, 57, who lived crossed nan thoroughfare from nan halfway and whose woman worked arsenic a coach astatine nan center’s school.
On Tuesday, Wahl said that Kaziha and Awad drew nan attraction of nan attacks and drew them “back retired into nan parking batch area”.
Kaziha, Wahl said, was nan first 1 who called 911.
In nan parking lot, nan 2 men “were unluckily incapable to flee”, constabulary said, and nan attackers cornered and killed them. Both suspects fled nan segment and were recovered dormant successful a car nearby.
“I want to beryllium very clear, each 3 of our victims did not dice successful vain,” Wahl said. “Without distracting nan attention, without delaying nan actions of these 2 individuals, without question, location would person been galore much fatalities”.
At nan news conference, nan head of nan Islamic Center of San Diego, Imam Taha Hassane, described nan 3 victims arsenic “brothers successful nan community” and called them “our martyrs and our heroes”.
He said Abdullah was “such a beautiful person” who “never stopped smiling to anyone”.
“If it was not for him, arsenic main mentioned, nan carnage would beryllium overmuch worse,” Hassane said. “He’s nan 1 who stopped them, who slowed them down. If he didn’t do what he did and he sacrificed his life, nan 2 suspects would person easy entree to each azygous classroom.”
Hassane described Kaziha arsenic nan “pillar” of nan Islamic Center. “I person ne'er done thing without him”.
Awad, who he described arsenic a neighbor, “rushed to do something” aft he heard nan gunfire.
“My organization is mourning,” Hassane said. “My organization is keeping our 3 heroes successful their prayers.”
Mark Brimley, typical supplier successful complaint of nan FBI’s San Diego section office, said connected Tuesday that nan victims were “there to thief others beryllium portion of a organization that came together successful peace”.
“Instead, they were confronted by teenagers who look to person been radicalized online to judge that they didn’t beryllium because of really they looked aliases wherever they worshipped,” he said.
At a abstracted news conference connected Tuesday, Abdullah’s daughter, Hawaa Abdullah, remembered her begetter arsenic “a loving father, husband, son, brother, and uncle”.
“To me, my dada was a domiciled model,” she said. “He was a champion friend, nan was nan champion absolute champion dada successful nan world. He was my protector. My dada was a number 1 advocator for information and keeping our communities safe. He stood against immoderate shape of hate.”
Police and FBI person said that they are investigating nan onslaught arsenic a hate crime.
