More than 2,000 people gathered in San Diego on Thursday for an Islamic funeral prayer honoring three men killed while confronting gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. Mourners stood in rows at SDSU Mission Valley River Park near Snapdragon Stadium for the Janazah service.
The victims were identified as security guard Amin Abdullah, 51; handyman and cook Mansour Kaziha, 78; and community member Nadir Awad, 57. Police said the three men delayed and distracted two teenage assailants during school hours at the center, which serves as both a mosque and school. All three died from gunshot wounds.
Abdullah exchanged gunfire with the attackers and alerted the center to lock down before he was killed. Awad, whose wife is a teacher at the center, and Kaziha ran toward the building after hearing shots and called 911 before they were gunned down. The teenage suspects fled and were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. A burial service followed at La Vista Memorial Park in National City. A support fund for the victims’ families has raised nearly $1 million. Mayor Todd Gloria called the shooting a violent act of hate and urged unity against Islamophobia.
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Sources:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/22/headlines