Heroic Mosque Guard Killed While Protecting Worshippers in San Diego Attack

A longtime security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego has been praised for his bravery after he was killed while trying to stop gunmen from entering the mosque complex during a deadly shooting in California.

Community leaders identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, who reportedly worked at the mosque for more than a decade. Authorities said his actions helped prevent the attack from becoming even more devastating, especially as children were inside the complex at the time.

According to police, two teenage suspects opened fire at the Islamic Center in San Diego on Monday, killing three people in what investigators are treating as a possible hate crime. The suspects later died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds several blocks away.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described Abdullah’s actions as “heroic,” saying he likely saved many lives by confronting the attackers before they could reach more people inside the mosque and school area.

Friends and religious leaders said Abdullah was widely respected in the community. Sheikh Uthman Ibn Farooq said Abdullah became a security guard because he wanted to protect innocent people. Reports also indicate he was a father of eight.

Tributes flooded social media after news of his death spread. American Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman honored Abdullah online, saying he helped stop the shooters from reaching children inside the mosque.

The Islamic Center of San Diego, one of the largest mosques in the region, also houses the Al Rashid School, where children study Arabic, Quranic education and Islamic studies. Video footage showed children being safely evacuated from the area during the emergency.

Mosque director Taha Hassane condemned the attack, calling it “outrageous to target a place of worship.” Muslim civil rights organization Council on American-Islamic Relations also denounced the shooting and warned about rising anti-Muslim hate in the United States.

US President Donald Trump described the incident as a “terrible situation,” while New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the attack highlighted growing Islamophobia across the country.

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