What we know about the San Diego shooting victims, suspects, possible motive and more - BERITAJA

Two teenage gunmen are believed to person killed 3 group astatine a San Diego mosque Monday earlier they took their ain lives, authorities said.

Investigators are moving to find a motive, but the San Diego constabulary main described the killings arsenic a imaginable dislike crime.

The chief, Scott Wahl, said the arena was “every community’s worst nightmare.”

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Here’s what we cognize about the shooting.

People guidelines down constabulary portion astatine the segment of a shooting extracurricular the Islamic Center of San Diego, successful San Diego, Calif., connected Monday.Gregory Bull / AP

The victims

Authorities responded to a study of an progressive shooter astatine the Islamic Center of San Diego, described connected the center’s website arsenic the largest mosque successful San Diego County, astatine 11:43 a.m., Wahl said.

The mosque is successful San Diego’s Clairemont neighborhood, about 8 miles northbound of downtown.

Officers arrived astatine the segment 4 minutes later and recovered 3 big men dormant successful beforehand of the mosque, Wahl said.

One of the men was a information defender whom Wahl said was “pivotal” successful preventing much bloodshed.

“At this point, I deliberation it’s adjacent to opportunity his actions were heroic,” Wahl said. “Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”

The victims were not identified Monday.

As the officers deployed what Wahl described arsenic an progressive shooter consequence astatine the mosque and astatine an adjacent school, much gunfire was reported blocks away, the main said.

A landscaper who was moving successful the area was changeable astatine but not struck, Wahl said.

Where were the suspects found?

Less than a 4th mile from the landscaper, constabulary recovered a conveyance successful the mediate of the thoroughfare pinch the 2 teenagers believed to beryllium the shooters inside, the main said.

Both are believed to person died by self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Wahl said.

Two elder rule enforcement officials briefed connected the investigation and a national rule enforcement charismatic identified the suspected shooters arsenic Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18.

Police respond to a reported progressive shooter astatine the Islamic Center of San Diego successful San Diego, Calif., connected Monday.Zoë Meyers / AFP via Getty Images

The mother of 1 of the suspects called constabulary Monday greeting and said that her son, her weapon and her car were missing, Wahl said.

She described the teen arsenic suicidal and said he was apt pinch a friend, Wahl said. Both were wearing fatigues, the main recalled her saying.

Officers were talking pinch the female and trying to portion together wherever her boy mightiness beryllium erstwhile they learned what was happening astatine the Islamic center, Wahl said.

They “immediately dispatched themselves to the mosque,” the main said.

What we cognize about a imaginable motive

The mother told constabulary that her boy near a note, Wahl said. He declined to supply further specifications about the note.

The main said “hate rhetoric” was progressive successful the shooting, which he said is being investigated arsenic a dislike crime. Investigators are examining imaginable anti-Islamic writings recovered successful the teens’ car, 2 elder rule enforcement officials said.

An imam pinch the mosque, Taha Hassane, said the halfway had ne'er earlier knowledgeable a calamity for illustration Monday’s shooting and said it is “outrageous” that personification would target a spot of worship.

“People travel to the Islamic halfway to pray, to celebrate, to learn,” he told reporters.

Monday marked the first time of Dhul Hijjah, the past period of the Islamic almanac and 1 of its about ineffable periods.

In a news release, the mosque said it will stay closed until further notice.