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Security guard's bravery limits deadly mosque attack
San Diego police credit Amin Abdullah, a security guard killed in Monday's shooting, with preventing greater loss of life at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Two worshippers also died in the attack carried out by two teenage assailants who later took their own lives.
The victims
Abdullah, a father of eight, had worked at the mosque for over a decade. Colleagues and friends described him as a warm, dedicated protector of the community. An online fundraiser in his memory has surpassed $1.6 million.
The other victims were identified as Mansour Kaziha, who maintained the mosque's grounds and store, and Nader Awad, whose wife teaches at the center's school.
Police praise heroic actions
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl called Abdullah's response "heroic" during a news conference. "Undoubtedly, he saved lives today," Wahl said.
"Amin was loved by everybody. He stood there day after day, always smiling, welcoming everybody, welcoming the kids who came to the school. He was a shining light. He is a true hero, a martyr."
Tazheen Nizam, Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego
Attack details emerge
The shooting occurred near noon after the mother of one suspect reported her son missing with a friend, expressing concerns about possible suicide. Police later found three victims with gunshot wounds outside the mosque.
Minutes afterward, officers discovered the two suspects-ages 17 and 18-dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle blocks away.
Hate crime investigation underway
Chief Wahl confirmed the shooting is being treated as a hate crime, citing involvement of "hate rhetoric." Authorities have not released the suspects' identities or motives.
Community mourns
Friends and congregants remembered Abdullah as a selfless figure. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, a family friend, told the Associated Press Abdullah became a security guard "to defend the innocent."
Sam Hamideh, who knew Abdullah through the mosque, told CBS News the guard greeted everyone with kindness, regardless of their background.
"It didn't matter who walked up... any random person could just walk up and, like, [Abdullah] would greet them, make sure they are OK. Whether they were homeless off the street looking for something, whether it was a child or elderly."
Sam Hamideh, mosque community member
