He Shielded His Wife From G-u-nfire — Heartbreaking Final Moments of San Diego Mosque Hero Revealed
ONE of the three victims of the mosque shooting in San Diego reportedly made a last heroic move to save his wife before he was cornered and gunned down by two teens in a parking lot.
The shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, which is being probed as a hate crime, left five people dead, including two suspects aged 17 and 18.
The reports of an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego triggered a massive police response with snipers deployed on the roof and dozens of cop cars on the groundCredit: Reuters
Nader Awad was a kindergarten teacher for decadesCredit: Facebook
The Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont is home to a school and the largest mosque in San Diego CountyCredit: Reuters
An armed officer was seen staged on the roof of the centerCredit: AP
Nader Awad, one of the teachers at the center home to a school for pre-K to third-grade students, was killed in the shooting and identified by community members, KTLA reported.
Awad reportedly lived across the street from the county’s largest mosque and rushed over as soon as he heard the gunfire just before noon.
“He was living across the street, just a few steps only,” Abdul Saleem, a community member who knew all three of the men killed, told KTLA.
“When he heard the shots, he came to see what was going on because his wife was working there and he wanted to make sure that his wife was secure.”
Gunfire broke out at the Islamic Center around 11:40am on Monday and upon arrival, police found three men dead at the scene.
Children were evacuated from the scene and formed human chains as they linked their arms, moving to safety. No children were harmed in the attack, police confirmed.
Police said that Awad and Mansour Kaziha, who also worked at the center, got the suspects to follow them away from the building and into the parking lot where they were ultimately cornered and killed, KGW reported.
Around the same time, San Diego police officers responded to reports of active gunfire a few blocks away, where a landscaper was shot at while working but was left uninjured.
Moments later, cops found a vehicle in the middle of another nearby street with the suspected shooters dead inside from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
The two teens have been identified by the media as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Velasquez, 18.
Clark was reportedly a former high school wrestling star at a nearby school, Madison High School.
Saleem identified one of the other victims as Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the mosque and a father of eight.
Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego and a father of eight was killed in the shootingCredit: Facebook/AminAbdullah
Children were seen hand-in-hand being evacuated from the San Diego mosqueCredit: NBC San Diego
One of the suspects has been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark, a former wrestling star at a nearby high schoolCredit: Instagram
“Whenever he saw the people, he said, ‘There’s something strange. Close the doors,” Saleem said of Abdullah.
Police said Abdullah had stopped the shooting from becoming worse as panic spread throughout the center.
“We do believe the security guard was able to help at least minimize the situation to the front area of the mosque,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.
“At this point, I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic. Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”
The third man who lost his life in the shooting was identified by friends as Kaziha, a community leader who also went by Abu Izz.
Kaziha worked at the center’s food store.
Fayaz Nawabi, the founder and executive director of For The People Action group, mourned the three victims in a series of heartbreaking Facebook posts.
Nawabi said Kaziha left behind a “legacy of service, selflessness, and honor.”
Nader, Nawabi said, had served as a kindergarten teacher for decades.
He recalled his friend’s heroic efforts during Monday’s shooting, saying, “When Nader heard the gunshots, he immediately ran toward the danger.
“He grabbed whatever he could from brother Amin Abdullah and went inside to confront the two terrorists. He was martyred in the process.
“Brother Nader was always trying to do right by people, especially by his children.”
Mansour Kaziha, a community leader who also went by Abu Izz, worked at the center’s food store
Two men were seen consoling each other as they sat on a sidewalk near the sceneCredit: Reuters
Officials said they found “hate speech” across the weapons used in the shootingCredit: Getty
Cops are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime after anti-Islamic messages were reportedly found on the gunmen’s weapons and inside of their car.
Images from the crime scene appeared to show a gas can beside their BMW with an “SS” sticker, believed to reference Schutzstaffel, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi paramilitary organization.
Officials also found anti-Islamic writings inside the vehicle and “hate speech” written across their firearms, the New York Post reported.
The mother of one of the suspected gunmen called police hours before the shooting happened to report that her son was missing along with her car and three of her weapons.
She told police she believed her son was suicidal and was with a companion, dressed in camouflage.
