Police have reported that five individuals lost their lives in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the area.
After receiving reports of an active shooter, law enforcement quickly arrived at the scene, and authorities have now declared the situation “contained.”
The local NBC television station, referencing police sources, initially reported that “multiple people are down” inside the mosque. Subsequently, the report was updated to state that two suspects had been killed.
Around noon on Monday (local time), San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced that he had been informed of an “active shooter situation” at the Islamic Center located in the Clairemont neighborhood, part of San Diego, California’s second-largest city.
The San Diego Police Department also communicated that their officers were present at the scene responding to reports of an active shooter.
Local television footage showed numerous patrol cars stationed on a highway bridge near the Islamic Center, with officers and their vehicles surrounding the area and aiming rifles at the mosque.
Television images from the location also depicted armed officers navigating through the mosque’s complex.
The Islamic Center in Clairemont, according to its website, is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Bright Horizon Academy, a school offering Islamic education.
Mayor Gloria posted that “emergency personnel are on scene and actively working to protect the community and secure the area.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the “evolving situation,” as stated by his office of emergency services.
