“Breaking News: Tragedy in San Diego Part 2”

Summary

Podcast Summary: Deadline: White House — “Breaking News: Tragedy in San Diego Part 2”

Date: May 18, 2026
Host: Nicolle Wallace (coverage primarily by Nicole Amen)
Key Contributors: San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall, Mayor Todd Gloria, Imam Taha Hassan, Legal Analyst Michael Feinberg, Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger, Reporters Mark Santilla & Eamon Mohuddin

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Overview

This episode provides breaking news coverage and in-depth analysis of a tragic shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. The episode features live press briefings, law enforcement updates, community reactions, and expert commentary as the story unfolded. The main focus is on the response to the incident, initial investigative findings, the community’s grief, and the broader implications regarding hate crimes and violence at places of worship.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Immediate Law Enforcement Response

[00:50–12:58]

• Police Chief Scott Wall delivers the initial press briefing, confirming details of the incident and investigation:

  • A tragic shooting occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
  • Quick law enforcement response: officers arrived within 4 minutes after the first 911 call at 11:43am.
  • Three victims (all adults: a security guard and two staff members) found deceased outside the facility.
  • Two suspects (male, ages 17 and 19) were found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle a couple of blocks away.
  • Confirmation that no officers discharged their weapons during the response.

  Quote:

  "No community should have to go through such a tragic incident. But we will work tirelessly until you learn the truth."
  — Chief Scott Wall [00:50]

  • Details on security measures, evidence collection, and the ongoing nature of the investigation.
  • Request for any public tips and presentation of a reunification center for families.

• Mayor Todd Gloria reassures the public:

  • The threat has been addressed and all children at the associated school are safe.
  • Expresses condolences to the Muslim community and gratitude to law enforcement.
  • Emphasizes that "hate has no place in the City of San Diego." [03:38]

2. The Scene and Sequence of Events

[12:58–24:45]

• Three separate locations:

  1. Outside the Islamic Center (main shooting, three victims)
  2. Shooting at a landscaper a few blocks away (no injuries)
  3. Suspects’ vehicle found nearby with both deceased

  Quote:

  "There was actually a second shooting...a landscaper was shot at, he wasn't injured."
  — Nicole Amen [12:58]

• Law Enforcement Analysis:

  • Tommy Manger and Michael Feinberg discuss the likely bravery of the security guard and staff in confronting the shooters, possibly preventing a larger tragedy.
  • Initial uncertainty about the timeline and connection between the shootings.
  • Early investigation treats this as a hate crime, pending further evidence.

  Quote:

  "It appears that these two teachers and the security guard confronted these shooters...outside the facility."
  — Tom Manger [15:38]

3. Community Voices and Impact

[10:59, 22:08–29:14, 48:07–50:12]

• Imam Taha Hassan speaks to the press, expressing shock and heartbreak, highlighting the center’s role as a gathering place for all, and gratitude for outpourings of support.

  Quote:

  "It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. Our Islamic center is a place of worship. People come to...pray, to celebrate, to learn — not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life."
  — Imam Taha Hassan [10:59 & 48:10]

• Reporter Eamon Mohuddin shares a personal account:

  • Reports on the anxiety and chaos for parents, particularly in the tight-knit Muslim community.
  • Describes how security measures and staff efforts potentially saved lives.

  Quote:

  "When you're a mother, when you're a parent, you want to hold your kids and you want to hug them to see that they are safe and sound."
  — Eamon Mohuddin [23:18]

• Host and panel acknowledge the trauma and heroism witnessed:

  • Recognition that tragic shootings continue to touch religious and educational institutions across the country, echoing national grief and fear.

4. Early Investigation and Legal Context

[29:14–47:47]

• Legal and investigative focus:

  • Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime, which provides additional legal and investigatory tools, especially if co-conspirators exist.
  • Analysts discuss the practical and symbolic importance of applying hate crime statutes.

  Quote:

  "While no shooting is run of the mill...a run of the mill shooting without an ideological context would not offer [the same penalties]."
  — Michael Feinberg [29:51]

• Gun Purchase Questions:

  • Under California law, it is illegal for those under 21 to purchase firearms, with some exceptions.
  • Ongoing investigation into how the underage suspects obtained their weapons.

  Quote:

  "How are these teenagers, 17 and 19 years old, able to get their hands on guns?"
  — Mark Santilla [47:47]

• Law enforcement priorities:

  • Immediate search for evidence of motive, planning, communications, and potential accomplices.
  • Critical role of digital evidence (phones, computers, social media).

  Quote:

  "If there is...a hate crime, that's where they're going to find the information."
  — Tom Manger [36:11]

5. Heroism and Security Protocols

[42:27–44:35]

• Discussion of the courage and sacrifice made by the three adult victims:

  • Their intervention likely saved the lives of children and others at the center.
  • Reflection on the harsh reality that religious and educational institutions now train and hire security for such threats.

  Quote:

  "These three individuals gave their lives in defense of those children."
  — Tom Manger [43:01]

6. Broader Community and Societal Impact

[50:12–53:32]

• Reflection on anti-Muslim rhetoric and the wider societal context:

  • Eamon Mohuddin draws connections between rising Islamophobia, public rhetoric, and real-world violence.

  Quote:

  "You worry about how those words and that rhetoric and that language is going to be perceived by people out in the broader society as to whether or not it's a call to action or violence...no community, no place of worship...should be subject to this kind of violence or rhetoric."
  — Eamon Mohuddin [51:44]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “No community should have to go through such a tragic incident.”
  — Chief Scott Wall [00:50]

• “Hate has no place in the city of San Diego. And when it happens… we will hold you accountable.”
  — Mayor Todd Gloria [03:38]

• “The heroic actions of the responding officers and deputies is beyond words.”
  — Chief Scott Wall [08:17]

• “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship...This is something we have never expected.”
  — Imam Taha Hassan [10:59, 48:10]

• “These three individuals gave their lives in defense of those children.”
  — Tom Manger [43:01]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Key Speaker | Summary | |-------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50–04:44 | Chief Scott Wall, Mayor Gloria | First details of incident, status update, community message | | 10:59 | Imam Taha Hassan | Community response, call for solidarity | | 14:45–15:38 | Michael Feinberg, Tom Manger | Initial analysis of separate shooting scenes, investigation | | 22:08–29:14 | Eamon Mohuddin, Nicole Amen | Community and parent experience, school protocols | | 36:11–44:35 | Tom Manger | Investigation tactics, questions about motive, heroism | | 47:47 | Mark Santilla | Gun law context, underage purchase questions | | 48:07–50:12 | Imam Hassan, Eamon Mohuddin | Imam’s public remarks, reflection on rising Islamophobia |

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Tone and Language

• The speakers maintain a sobering, sincere, and urgent tone, appropriate for the severity of the incident.
• Community solidarity, resilience, and grief are consistently expressed by officials and reporters.
• Analysts and law enforcement experts keep a matter-of-fact but compassionate tone, recognizing both heroism and trauma.

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Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive picture of the tragedy at the Islamic Center of San Diego, highlighting the swift and courageous emergency response, the ongoing investigation, the heroic actions of staff and law enforcement, and the far-reaching emotional and societal impact on the community and beyond. The conversation closes with reflections on the need for vigilance, compassion, and examination of the broader context of hate-fueled violence.

Transcript

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[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

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[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

No community should have to grow through such a tragic incident. But we will work tirelessly until you learn the truth. We have on scene a number of special agents, task force officers, our evidence response personnel, victim specialists, and many more. As we work through this investigation, we ask for your patience to determine any motive and facts associated with the shooting. The FBI continues to ask for the public's help in providing any information that could help us resolve this investigation. And we remind the public that any detail, no matter how small, could be useful. The FBI has set up a digital media tip line for information regarding this shooting. We ask that the public submit their tips to FBI.gov or call 1-800-call-FBI with any information you may have. Thank you. One more piece of information that I failed to put out. There is a reunification center set up at 4125 Hathaway where parents could be reunified with their kids and any other loved ones that might be related to the Islamic Center. That is the location where you can be reunified. Next, I want to bring up the mayor of San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria.

[Mayor Todd Gloria]

Thank you, Chief. I want to be here to reemphasize what our police chief said. The threat currently has been addressed. Children are safe and that is a good thing. Obviously, we've had the loss of life here at the Islamic center of San Diego. And to our local Muslim community, my prayers are with you. I want to assure our Muslim community that we will do everything it takes to make sure that you can feel safe in this city. And no resource will be spared in making sure that our religious institutions and locations are protected in this sensitive time. I want to express my appreciation to the San Diegans who responded to our calls to clear the area to allow law enforcement to do their jobs. I ask you to continue to do that until you hear otherwise. As Chief said, students can be picked up at the church just down the street here. We have that information already sent out. Lastly, I would just say at this time, obviously, we'll have more comments later today, but at this moment, I want to simply express my immense gratitude and that of all 1.4 million San Diegans for the incredible law enforcement response that we saw here today. As Chief mentioned, response within 4 minutes. This is what we train for. This is what we budget for. This is what we ask of our public safety professionals. And they absolutely deliver in the way that we asked them to do. So. I appreciate our San Diego Police Department, our San Diego Fire Rescue Department, our Chief of the Fire Department is here, as well, as well as our local, state and federal partners, many of whom have been in touch with me directly recognizing the gravity of this situation and why it is sort of tragic situation for which there'll be a lot more work to be done in the days and weeks and months ahead. Again, my condolences to the victims and their families, to our Muslim community. One of our great leaders is here, Imam Taha, who is directly impacted. This is a time for making sure that we do everything that is necessary to investigate and fully address the incident that was here today. But to reassert, as I always will, that hate has no place in the city of San Diego. And when it happens and crime of any nature occurs, we will hold you accountable. Again, appreciation to our public safety professionals. I'll turn it back to our chief.

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

I'll open it up to questions here in just a second. I want you to keep in mind we're giving you what we have and what we know at this point. And there's only so many limitations. There's a. There's a limitation of what we can go into at this point until we can confirm information. So with that, we'll. We'll open up to a couple questions. Yeah. So thank you for asking. How many. How many total to see. So we have are two suspects that are deceased. We have three victims at the Islamic Center. All three are adults, for a total of five people that are deceased related to this incident. Yeah. So we are actively investigating that right now to figure out and piece together exactly what led to this moment. And as we get that information confirmed and verified, we'll be back out here providing more details moving forward. So the suspects at this point appear to have died from self inflicted gunshot wounds. There were no officers involved in firing their weapons, but that is still very preliminary at this point. But that's what we believe right now. Two males. At this point. We believe them to be 17 and 19. This suspect's identity put out on the airport quickly. This was the suspect known that they

[News Reporter Mark Santilla]

plan this and people were aware of

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

this before it happened.

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

So again, we are actively investigating the things that led up to this. Obviously, these things don't typically just happen on a whim. And the, the information that we knew preceding it is what we're actively looking into. And once we get that information verified and assembled, we will provide it.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

Yes, ma'.

[News Reporter Mark Santilla]

Am.

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

Yeah, so the, the Islamic center does have security. One of the deceased is a security guard that, that works there and I think played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse. Yes. Yeah, the Islamic center does have cameras and there are, there is footage. There's going to be a tremendous amount of information and details that we're gonna try to sort and put this, this puzzle back together.

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

Again,

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

Not confirmed.

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

No, we don't.

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

Shannon. You know, I, I don't necessarily know, you know, which locations were put on, you know, a lockdown. There's other neighboring schools in the area. It's standard protocol when information like this comes out with an active shooter, we try our best to get that information out and either shelter in place or evacuate from the area if it's ideally safe to do so. So that would not be outside of protocol for that to happen. Just one more question. Y. So our initial officers that got on scene did not engage with the suspects in the parking lot. They began to make entry into the Islamic Center. They observed three deceased bodies outside of the center, which, you know, obviously forced them to engage in an active shooter response. Immediately deploy inside of the Islamic center and start working from room to room. They did have to breach doors to get into all of the different rooms. Extremely chaotic. There was somewhere between 50 to 100 police officers inside of that facility. All of you that responded here could see how many officers and deputies from around the county that were surrounding the outside of the facility. We also have the scene a couple blocks away where we had active gunfire coming in on a landscaper that was just out there doing his job. Thankfully, he's okay, was not hit. He was not. He was not injured. But we got a lot of work to do to Try to figure out what. What led up to this and exactly what actions took place. But I can tell you with 100% certainty the heroic actions of the responding officers and deputies is beyond words. To know that this many of our public servants are willing to leave their loved ones behind, drop what they're doing and run towards gunfire without asking any questions is remarkable. Not yet. We're obviously making notifications as we speak to family and loved ones. And so I want to respect that. So we will be back. We will be back with more information a little bit later today. Thank you, guys.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Chief. That is San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall giving us the most detail. This is the imam. Let's listen.

[Imam Taha Hassan]

In the Islamic center of San Diego, I know it's time of sorrow, time of sadness. We have never experienced a tragedy like this before. And at this moment, all what I can say is sending our prayers and standing in solidarity with all the families in our community here and also the other mosques and all the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected. It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. Our Islamic center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life. Just this morning, earlier, a group of people, non Muslims, coming just to learn about our faith and our cultures. So this is something that we have never expected. And I would like also to thank all the people who contacted us from all over the country and even from overseas to give condolences and to ask about, is there anything they can do to help. And I would like also to thank our local authorities, our San Diego Police Department, the FBI, the San Diego Police Department, FBI and all, the sheriff department, our mayor for showing up and standing in solidarity with us. So this is what I have to say. Thank you so much.

[Legal Analyst Michael Feinberg]

Thank you very much.

[San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall]

That's all the time we have right now. We will come back in two hours and we will also set up for Spanish interviews.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Yes, that is a briefing from law enforcement and from the imam at the Islamic center in San Diego, from the San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall, who described it as, quote, every community's worst nightmare. He was able to confirm there was no further threat and gave us a bit of detail about the events that played out today inside the Islamic center and in San Diego. He described the attack on the center from the two suspects, described the security guard as engaging the attackers. Two other center staff lost their lives. He confirmed that there are three victims from today's attack and violence. He Also confirmed something we hadn't heard before in our coverage. And so I want to lift this up and ask all of our law enforcement experts about this. There was actually a second shooting, the response to the shooting, the active shooting at the Islamic Center. That call came in at 11:43. He said, quote, we got a call from a couple blocks away of active gunfire, quote, a landscaper was shot at, he wasn't injured. It was a couple blocks away. And then the police chief Scott Wall, confirming that the two teenage suspects, believed to be age 17 and 19 were found dead in a vehicle of apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds. Michael Feinberg, your thoughts?

[Legal Analyst Michael Feinberg]

There's a lot of tantalizing information there that is hard to connect at this moment until we know a little bit more. I mean my first question obviously is if the two shootings, aside from the assailants presumed self inflicted deaths, are related to each other, was one a precursor to the other? Was this a sort of killing spree, joyride type thing or was it an organized attempt to sow chaos and target specific individuals? This, these are at least some of the questions that I imagine the investigators will now be trying to answer in the days and weeks to come.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Tom Manger, your thoughts from what we learned there? Most of the information again coming from the San Diego Police chief Scott Wall.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

So a couple of things. One, he said during his interview, he used the words that the three deceased victims from the Islamic center were out in front. And then he, and in answering questions he said that they were outside the facility. Which indicates to me that these two teachers and the security guard confronted these shooters, may have confronted these shooters before they even got into the facility. We, we don't know that yet but it's an indication to me that that the, you know, that, that it this they started shooting outside the facility. The chief never connected the dots between he mentions the shooting of the lands or shooting at the landscaper and then the, the two self inflicted gunshot wounds killing the suspects in a vehicle. He doesn't really connect the dots but it, but the fact that he brings it up, it leads you to believe that they may be related. And you know, and, and I mean as he's talking my mind's racing saying, you know, is this something where the, the two shot each other and you know, round could have gone out of the car. Did, did they they, did they each shoot themselves? And why did they do it at this point? They had, they had left, they were in a vehicle, they had left the, the center. Did they at. And you remember that the Chief said there was a four minute response time. So at that point, were police already closing in and these two suspects felt like we're caught. And so a lot of questions still to be answered, but it certainly is. The fact that it was confirmed that all the kids were okay is a blessing. But you still have three innocent victims. That appears to me put themselves in harm's way to ensure the safety of those children.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

I tried to jot down this part of the briefing that Tom Manger is recounting, and here's what I took down. 11:43am they get a call from the Islamic center of a, quote, active shooter. As Tom pointed out that Chief Wall describes a four minute response time. Chief Wall then describes that they, quote, observed the three dead victims in front of the center. We have those victims as a security guard and two center staff. We haven't confirmed yet if they were educators or part of the Islamic center staff or security. We don't know for sure exactly who the other two victims were. And then the police chief, Scott Wall, describes that they deployed an active shooter response. He described that response as the, quote, most dynamic and impressive response he'd ever seen. But to what? Tom sort of got his finger on three different scenes. One at the Islamic center, one this shot from, quote, a couple blocks away of active gunfire, a landscaper who was, quote, shot at, and then the vehicle found at a third location with the two suspects. We heard from the police chief, they were age 17 and 19. He describes them as deceased from, quote, self inflicted gunshot wounds.

[News Reporter Mark Santilla]

Yeah, absolutely. And so what the chief was talking about, when there's an active shooter, those officers, the first responding officers, took that posture of believing that the gunman may have been in the Islamic center and immediately went into that facility. The chief said they began clearing rooms, they began making sure children were okay. And obviously you had three deceased adult males outside. Matter of fact, the chief said about the security guard who was killed that he, quote, played a pivotal role from this being worse. So the security guard being hailed as a hero. So at that point, as they were clearing that at the Islamic center, going into the Islamic center, there was also gunfire a short distance away. And that's where the chief said that they believe the suspects opened fire on a landscaper who was just out working. The landscaper, fortunately wasn't physically hurt. And then a short distance away, they found the suspects, Both suspects, ages 17 and 19, dead inside that car. Right now, the belief is self inflicted gunshot wounds in that vehicle. So you're right, Nicole. Three separate locations. But we Know if the chief is saying that the two suspects are 17 and 19, they obviously have more information, they have names at this point. And they're going to start working backwards. Who do these teenagers talk to? Were they on social media? Do their families, did their families know anything? What was their behavior like? And they'll start working backwards from the point of this horrific act at the Islamic center in San Diego as to what drove them there, how were they able to obtain those weapons? Were they stolen? Were they purchased? Someone give them, give those weapons to those two teenagers. So a lot of work is happening behind the scenes right now. We know the FBI is there. We know ATF agents are on scene as well as working behind the scenes. So there's a lot that goes into this. Another briefing is going to happen in about two hours, right. So they'll have more. But as of right now, this is being considered a hate crime. Three innocent people were killed, taken, their lives taken at the Islamic center of San Diego this morning. All the children, again, the chief emphasized that all the students, all the children were safe. But again, the two teenagers, at this point, we know investigators have their names. They'll be getting search warrants, they'll be going to their residence. They're going to talk to family, to friends. What did these, what did this 17 and 19 year old tell? Did they say anything? What may motivate? Did they post anything? Absolutely. And are they in communication? I can tell you this, Nicole. The NYPD as well as the lapd, they reached out. They're monitoring the situation. So you have police departments across the country who are watching what's unfolding in San Diego right now. LAPD as well as the nypd, they say they're monitoring this. There are no known threats to New York City or la, but they're keeping watch as well as other police departments. The nation is watching what's unfolding in San Diego right now.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

We are joined once again by my friend and colleague, Ayman Mohoddin Amin. What are you learning?

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

Yeah, Nicole, as you can imagine right now, a big focus has been on the families who are trying to connect with their children and the relatives of the staff members. And as you can imagine, it's not particularly hard within the Muslim community right now, which is really shook up across the country, to connect with relatives or people who know people in San Diego. And I was able to connect with a woman who actually has a son at that school. And I've been speaking to her relatives and she's eight months pregnant. She is now at the trying to connect with her son. The school has been able to notify parents and has been sharing some information with them that obviously, as we just heard there from the police officials and law enforcement officials, that the children are okay, but not yet have been able to connect the parents to the students. And so a lot of parents who are arriving on the scene are still very anxious to want to hold and hug their children for the first time since this has happened. But as I understood it, it was just like any other morning school drop off. School drop off happens at different phases. It's staggered like it is at any school. And it wasn't much longer after drop off that this woman that I was able to connect to through her relatives told me that she got notification. She had first heard about it on the news and immediately contacted people at the school. The school was able to rel that children were safe and in some cases even shared some video with the parents of children inside the school after certain protocols had been taken place to ensure that they were all safe and accounted for, and then began to immediately evacuate the students. And so, as you can imagine, there is a lot of chaos, a lot of fear, and no matter how much officials are obviously telling us right now that everyone is safe, when you're a mother, when you're a parent, you want to hold your kids and you want to hug them to see that they are safe and sound. And so I was able to connect with this family who was describing for me just the kind of fear and horror that they have been going through over the last two hours since most of this began to unfold and they got to the school. So it's a very difficult time. And so hopefully, as soon as she's able to hold her son, we'll be able to speak to her and hear her account of what has happened this morning.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Nicole Amen. Police also confirming your initial reporting from the imam that the security guard and two other staffers at the Islamic center lost their lives. Police confirming that they were out in front of the Islamic center deceased when Law enforcement responded four minutes after first receiving the call at 11:43am of an active shooting. Did this mom say anything about how tight knit the community is with the staff at the center?

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

It is a very tight knit community and it's not something that she particularly told me, but it's something that I've gleaned just from speaking to multiple people who know the school and know the community that goes to that school. One of the things that was very telling when I spoke to the imam earlier today is that this is a Islamic center and school that has deep roots in the community. As I mentioned earlier, this was. Was a school that was basically founded in the area, I believe, in 1987. And when you're a school that has been in the community for decades like that, you're talking about multiple generations. Parents who have had their kids there may have at some point themselves been involved there, teachers who have been there. And it's a pretty sizable school when you have 200 kids that attended and 20 plus staffers. And so it speaks volumes to the community. As I mentioned, I was able to connect with relatives of parents from that school who live in New York. And so I think, again, it speaks to the depth and breadth of the Muslim community of San Diego. And like many people, this, the news of a school shooting like this, and particularly a religious one, reverberates very quickly across the country. It's, you know, not many degrees of separation before you know, somebody who knows somebody at the school. And that's how in large part, I was able to connect with the imam very quickly. And I think like most communities and schools, you know, parents know their principals, they know their educators, they know the parents, and they know the teachers and the administrators at their kids schools. And it was no different here that when I was able to identify the imam and speak to him and told him who I was, he was able to take my phone call and share that information. And I think in large part because he knew that many people across this country right now would want to know what was happening and try to get as accurate information as possible. And, you know, it was initially when he told me that there were three people from the school personnel who were killed, including the security guard and the two staffers, it was very difficult to kind of process immediately how he knew that when he was evacuating the building, but because the staffers all were able to identify and see what. The police later confirmed that the bodies were outside the school. And it seemed that the school, as most schools nowadays, when kids are in session, have security protocols that, you know, close certain doors or prevent access from outside of the school into the school, except for certain entry points. And the security guard was where he was supposed to be. And as we heard from law enforcement, it seems that he tried to engage the suspect. I think the police said that it could have been much worse if the security guard who was killed was not where he was supposed to be and perhaps the students were inside the school and the shooters were not necessarily able to get inside. The school and perhaps after engaging people on the outside, obviously we don't know that yet, but it seemed just from the way that the police were suggesting the security guard engaged with the, with the shooter and what the imam told me based on his eyewitnesses, that the security guard did an incredible and heroic job. And so the families on one hand are breathing a sigh of relief that none of their children have been injured or killed, obviously. But at the same time, this community is really knowing that they just lost security guard and other staffers from this Islamic center. And so it is a very still, troubling moment. You know, I see the images, the helicopter images right now of parents outside and people outside trying to find out more information about their loved ones and their kids. But I think it's still going to be a very troubling couple of days and hours for the parents in this community.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Eamonn, thank you so much for your reporting this afternoon on all of this. I want to bring Michael Feinberg back. Michael Feinberg, the police chief, Officer Wall, Chief Scott Wall said we're going to investigate this as a hate crime until we aren't. I assume that means that the early theory of the case is that this is a hate crime and they'll follow the evidence until and unless something suggests that wasn't the case. Is that what he's saying?

[Legal Analyst Michael Feinberg]

Yeah, I don't know that I'd say it's necessarily a theory of the case in that it would be a singular one. But they would obviously given the target a minority religious center that has often been, you know, demonized within American culture, you have to at least examine whether that demonization, whether prejudice and bigotry were the motivation for what happened today and how those three individuals tragically lost their lives. It's also important to note that there is a pragmatic reason for investigating this as a hate crime, which is less germane once the assailants are dead. But if there are co conspirators out there can come into play and that's that once something is a hate crime, there are different federal penalties and local penalties or state penalties that might attach. That could change charging and sentencing decisions in a way that while no shooting is run of the mill, obviously a run of the mill shooting without an ideological context would not offer.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Michael Feinberg, thank you for spending the last 90 minutes on the air with us covering these tragic events out of San Diego. We really appreciate you and your time. We are going to take, I think, just our second break since we've been on the air. Gather any updates out of San Diego or anywhere else and be right back with you. Stay with us.

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[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

We are back covering the breaking news out of San Diego of a shooting in which three people lost their lives today. It sounds from law enforcement like their actions may have prevented today's shooting from being quote, much worse. The two suspects, two teenagers according to law enforcement, ages 17 and 19, are dead of apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds. A chaotic scene unfolding in San Diego today with violence in three locations across that beautiful, beautiful California city by the sea. One at the Islamic center, one quote, a couple blocks away where a landscaper was shot at but not injured. And a third, the location another couple blocks away where the two assailants were found deceased. Mark santilla, Right now we know police

[News Reporter Mark Santilla]

and federal agents are considering this a hate crime. As they continue their investigation, they continue to build out exactly what happened leading up to this deadly attack. We know as you said, the two suspects believe to be 17 and 19 years old. Their names have not been released at this point. One of the questions will be how do these teenagers obtain these weapons? What kind of weapons do they have? Police have not said at this point, but they'll be looking at how those weapons were obtained. They also said all the children inside the school were safe. We know that the three adults were killed. Three men were killed, including the security guard and two staffers at the Islamic Center. And you said, was it. The chief was adamant to say that security guard engaged with the suspects as they approached. And he said the security guard, quote, played a pivotal role. From this being worse, it appears at this time, according to the chief, that the gunman did not make it into the Islamic center, but may have left and then a couple blocks away opened fire on that landscaper who managed to escape without being physically harmed. And then a short distance from there, investigators found both teenagers dead in a vehicle. Of course, investigators want to know where that vehicle was from. Who does that vehicle belong to? Where are those, Those teenagers? They're 17 and 19. That's what police said. So obviously police have an identity on them as well. They'll be working to talk to any friends, family. You said it. Social media posts, anything that may have sort of given a hint as to what caused or drove this, as well as did they talk to anybody else? We know right now police are saying there's no further threat to the. We also know police departments across the country are monitoring this and staying in touch just in case, hey, they purchased this from here or they may have talked to this person, go talk to that person. Go knock on the door and they'll send investigators out. So a lot of questions still that need to be answered, Nicole.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Tom Manger, Michael Feinberg made the point and Mark Santia is making the point. This is being investigated as a hate crime, which arms law enforcement with more tools. Just talk about what the investigation looks like at this early stage and what questions they're asking.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

Well, my guess is that law enforcement is already at the residences of if these two kids were local, they are already at the residences. They are getting search warrants, if they haven't already, to get information from their phones, from their computers. And this will be very important in terms of this investigation is a hate crime. If there is, that's where they're going to find the information that might lead them to believe that this, in fact, was a hate crime. The There are forensic folks at the Islamic center collecting evidence. This is also Obviously there's a homicide investigation for, as well as a death investigation for the two suspects. So this, there are, I'm sure, teams of homicide detectives that are at each scene following up on each particular case, each. The deaths that occurred in the car as well as the deaths that occurred at the Islamic Center. So this is a, an investigation that will go through the night to, to ensure that there are no other co. Conspirators that they need to be going after that there's no. Nothing else that these two suspects, you know, had in the works that needs to be dealt with. But I'm sure that that law enforcement is, is already at a number of locations trying to collect as much evidence as they can to get to the bottom of what happened here.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Tom Manger, what questions would you have about that second shooting, about the landscaper being shot at? The police chief said that was quote, a few blocks away.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

So now you've got an individual, the landscaper, who was not hurt, thankfully. The questions I would be asking the landscaper is did the car slow down? Did you see an individual actually point a weapon at you? Was how fast was the car going? Did it stop? Was it, was it moving? Did you see an arm out the window? You know that. Because what I'm trying to determine here is was this intentional or was this just around that, that, you know, that was meant to be shot in the direction of this individual or, or not? I mean, these are the kinds of questions that we would want to ask you. Also there, there are no doubt cameras all over the Islamic center, both inside and out. Do you have video of the vehicle? Do you have video of these two individuals? So that you. And it seems to me that they might. Because the, the. The chief talked about the fact that the two suspects were deceased in this vehicle. Well, there had to be something, some evidence connecting them to the, to what happened at the Islamic center. And I think the most likely would be the video evidence of. You've got. You may have seen these individuals come up. You may have seen the, the exchange of gunfire, seen how they're dressed. You may have even seen the vehicle. And that way they, that's how they know that these are the two suspects. But the, the landscaper had. Will be very crucial in terms of describing what he or she saw from the vehicle and to, to determine if that was an intentional shot for the. Directed at the landscaper or was it just an errant round that, that because these two individuals were, were shooting at each other or who knows where does

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

an investigation go when two Teenage males are involved in simultaneous acts of suicide of self inflicted gunshot wounds.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

So you'll want to examine and they'll talk to. And who knows how these individuals are related? Are they friends? Is there some other relationship? How long have they been, you know, friends, close friends, enough that they would be, you know, could have been working on some kind of plan to do this. How did they select the Islamic center? You know, how did what, what were their motivations to target that particular location? The fact that if in fact they just took a random shot at a landscaper as they're driving away, what, what does that inform the investigation? Does that, is that mean they were just trying to, that they were interested in just increasing their, their quote, body count or was there some other reason that that individual was targeted? Hopefully they'll be able to get some idea of those, of those questions. And then we, you know, as was talked about earlier, how did these two get these guns in the first place? You know, that if I learned anything being a cop for 46 years is that when you have kid who's, you know, 15, 16, 17 years old, even 19 years old, they're, you know, their brains are not fully developed, their impulse control is different than that of someone who is, you know, in their late 20s or 30s or 40s. And guns in those hands of someone that age are dangerous in my view, to begin with. But certainly in a situation where these two individuals clearly had some plan, did that plan. Was it, was it, did they plan it for two days, two weeks, two months, two years? Hopefully they'll be able to get that evidence from their phones and computers to determine and then talking to their family members as well and their friends to get more information. And maybe there's some indication about how this came about, what their motives were and how long, just how long they've been planning this.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

I don't want to let you go, Tom, without asking you about the men, the three men who according to law enforcement, likely changed the arc of today's tragedy. And without their heroic acts, quote, the situation could have been much worse. Just talk about how these jobs now require people to have the courage and the training and the character and the humanity that they, these three heroes had today.

[Law Enforcement Expert Tom Manger]

This is why, you know, it's a, it's, it's a sad commentary, you know, that schools, religious institutions are hiring these kinds of folks to begin with because they have to. There's been just too many cases of these random shootings where religious institutions and, and, and education institutions are targeted. And we, I guess all Be thankful, we should be thankful that there are folks willing to take this job and take it seriously. But I will tell you that I think any parent would tell you that if their kid was in danger, they would do things that perhaps they would take risks, they would do things that maybe they wouldn't normally think they would do. That instinct to protect children, I think is, is, is real. And clearly these three individuals, it appears to me, and again, the, the, the cameras that are outside, maybe there's video and we're, it'll tell a, a different story, it'll give us more details. But the fact of the matter is that this, that kind of scene appears to me that these three men confronted the two shooters outside the school. And if we do confirm that these two shooters never got into the school, then I think it's clear that these three individuals gave their lives in defense of those children.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

It's just an extraordinary, an extraordinary thing to hear you say out loud. It's obviously what all of the information we've learned since we came on the air points to. And parents at Jewish schools all over the country, parents at public schools all over the country, parents at private school, parents at Catholic schools. I mean, we've covered way too many tragedies like this. But today it appears that three adult males engaged, two teenagers who sounds like the investigation may bear out, sought to do more damage based on what law enforcement understands at this time and change the arc of today's events. Tom Manger and Mark Santilla, thank you for being part of our live coverage. We're gonna sneak in a break. We'll be right back. At dsw, we ask the important questions like what shoes are you going to wear? Whether you're prepping for wedding season, festival season or just planning the ultimate vacay, the right shoes can make or break in rsvp. So own the moment. You've got big plans and we've got just the shoes at the perfect price, of course. Get ready to get ready with designer Shoe warehouse. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today and let us surprise you parents.

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CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. We are back with our breaking news coverage of the events out of San Diego. Mark Santiago, you have some reporting on something you and Tom have been talking about all afternoon. And that's the legal age to purchase a gun, right?

[News Reporter Mark Santilla]

Police say they know the suspects are 17 and 19 years old. Our investigative team has been digging. According to California state law, generally, they say generally it is illegal to sell, loan or transfer any firearm to a person under 21 years of age. The state goes on to say of California goes on to say, although there are exceptions, generally all firearm purchasers must be at least 21 years of age to purchase any firearm. Police haven't said what kind of firearms the teenagers had, but that's definitely going to be a question they answer. How are these teenagers, 17 and 19 years old, able to get their hands on guns?

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Really important part of this investigation. Thank you again for all your reporting this afternoon. I want to bring into our coverage someone who's been with us all afternoon, Amon Mohuddin. Amon, let me play a little bit of what Imam Taha Hassan said at the briefing this afternoon.

[Imam Taha Hassan]

I know it's time of sorrow, time of sadness. We have never experienced a tragedy like this before. And at this moment, all what I can say is sending our prayers and standing in solidarity with all the families in our community here and also the other mosques and all the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected. It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. Our Islamic center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life. Just this morning, earlier, a group of people, non Muslims, coming just to learn about our faith and our cultures. So this is something that we have never expected. And I would like also to thank all the people who contacted us from all over the country and even from overseas to give condolences and to ask about is there anything they can do to help. And I would like also to thank our local authorities, our San Diego Police Department, the FBI, the San Diego Police Department, FBI and all, the Sheriff department. Our mayor for showing up and standing in solidarity with us.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

That is Imam Taha Hassan of the Islamic center of San Diego. Eamon, you were speaking to him almost in real time of this tragedy. Those were his public comments at the briefing for press. Your thoughts?

[Reporter Eamon Mohuddin]

You know, Nicole, it's one of those situations that when you're covering it, you realize the moment that you find yourself in and how severe it is. Right. I think these moments of mass shootings at a school involving children and a religious minority, they always cut across so many layers in our society. And I think it's very, very troubling when you are covering it and you are a part of it as anyone is in this country at this moment, as a parent, as a Muslim American. And it's very difficult. And you can hear that in his voice immediately, that no how much as a spiritual leader, as an educator, you want to be there for the community. As you heard in that soundbite, you can't help but also hear the fear in his voice. And it's a fear that honestly, many Muslim Americans have been hearing louder and louder and feeling more and more in recent months. And we heard that it's still too early, obviously, to assign a motive, and that's very important, to wait and see how this investigation plays out. But at the same time, we heard from law enforcement that this is being investigated, investigated as a hate crime. And it's hard to separate this type of incident from the increased rhetoric that we hear in this country against Muslims and the Islamophobia that continues to grow and goes unchecked. You know, we hear from officials all the time, and we've heard from officials and members of Congress who have called Muslims out and said Muslims don't belong in American society or warned of Muslims being a threat to American culture and that it's not a religion and that it's a culture cult. We've heard, you know, prominent media personalities in this country who have gone after elected officials here in New York, we've heard Mayor Mamdani, a Muslim official, called the cockroach. And I think that kind of rhetoric ricochets and reverberates across the Muslim community, as it does in any community that cares about elected officials and religious minorities. But when you hear that type of rhetoric and when you hear that type of language coming from elected officials in this country, officials whose responsibility is try to bring the country together and not to divide us, you worry. You worry about how those words are going to be interpreted. You worry about how those words and that rhetoric and that language is going to be perceived by people out in the broader society as to whether or not it's a call to action or violence. And we just don't want to live in a society that that happens and we see it across all walks of life, sadly. But that what I think a lot of Muslims are worried about today. And again, you know, it's very early on in the investigation, but as we heard from law enforcement officials, this will be treated as a hate crime until it's not. And you heard that from the imam there who was talking about how no community, no place of worship, no school, no place where children get together every day to learn should be subject to this kind of violence or this type of rhetoric. And I think that's what I take away from today, the tragedy, the heroism of the three police officers and the law enforcement, but also the need to kind of take a step back and gut check the language that we're hearing from a lot of people in this country towards Muslim at this moment.

[News Anchor Nicole Amen]

Amen Mohuddin, we are very fortunate that you co helmed these two hours with us. Thank you so much for your reporting and your insights and your thoughts today. Really grateful to you.

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