Suspected San Diego mosque shooter's mom made desperate 911 call before deadly attack
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The details of a 911 call made by a suspect's mother two hours prior to a mosque shooting in San Diego have been revealed, after three were left dead at the scene on Monday (May 18).
Police were already on the hunt for the two suspects on Monday morning, when they responded to calls of gunshots being fired at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
One of the suspect's mothers had rang officers at around 9:42 a.m, warning them that her son could be suicidal, and had run away with a companion dressed in camouflage, taking her vehicle and several weapons.
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During a press conference, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl noted that the circumstances were not typically consistent with individuals intent on suicide, which 'began to elevate the threat level'.
He revealed that officers were speaking with the mother when the shooting outside the mosque was reported at around 11:43 a.m.
Upon arriving at the Islamic centre, which contains a mosque and a K-3 school, police found three adults dead, including one of the security guards.
But soon after, officers were called to a second scene just a few blocks away.
There, they found the two teen suspects dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
They also found the weapon used in the attack, as well as a gas canister with a Nazi symbol.
Currently, investigators are treating the shooting at the mosque, the largest in San Diego County history, as a hate crime.
Chief Wahl said: "Because of the Islamic Center location, we are considering this a hate crime until it’s not.
"And at this point we’re going to work closely with the FBI to make sure that we are matching all the resources that we need for this investigation."
He added that while the suspects had not made any specific threats against the mosque prior to the attack, there was evidence that they had engaged in 'generalized hate rhetoric'.
CNN reported that one suspect left a suicide note that cited 'racial pride'.
Children were in class at the Al Rashid school as the incident unfolded on Monday, though no children or teachers were harmed during the attack.
San Diego-based FBI Special Agent Mark Remily told reporters: "No community should have to go through such a tragic incident, but we will work tirelessly until we learn the truth."
He added: "The FBI is meticulously assessing the situation and is prepared to employ every resource we have to uncover the facts of this incident."