A religious leader of the San Diego Islamic Center shed new light on the active shooter incident that happened Monday morning – and confirmed school children were inside at the time.
Two suspected shooters are dead as well as a member of the mosque, leaders confirmed. A number of people have also been taken to hospital.
“We are safe, the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center,” Imam Taha Hassane of the center he said in a video sent obtained by the California Post and circulated among California’s Muslim community.
“There is no threat at this moment, but we want everyone to stay away from the Islamic Center setting,” he said in a video obtained by the California Post.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations confirmed that one member of the mosque was killed in the attack.
“We strongly condemn this horrifying act of violence at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this attack,” CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam said.
“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school. We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.”
CAIR and local community leaders also confirmed that at least one member of the mosque was killed.
School children attending classes were inside during the attack.
Two shooters have been shot dead after an active shooter situation at a San Diego mosque drew a massive police presence, three police sources told NBC on Monday. The threat has since been “neutralized,” according to the San Diego Police Department.
Helicopter footage shows one person in a tactical vest who appears to have been shot dead outside the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Several people are believed to have been shot, Officer Anthony Carrasco told the Associated Press. Hundreds of police officers and scores of emergency vehicles lined up outside the center only minutes after the call came in reporting an active shooter.
“We are closed for the rest of the day. Stay safe, stay at home, and make a lot of prayers,” Hussane added.
“We have a few casualties, including one member of the mosque,” according to the video, although authorities have yet to confirm that information.
There are three schools within close proximity to the mosque: the Islamic School of San Diego, Clairemont Canyons Academy, and Kavod Charter School. A Seventh-day Adventist church and California Children Services are also nearby. The center’s campus includes the Al Rashid School.
An elementary school next to the Islamic Center was also evacuated by police, as were adults still inside the center.
The children were inside the school during the attack.
Police were seen frantically searching the neighborhood and going door to door looking for the shooter, according to KGTV San Diego.
The motives behind the attack are still unknown.
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