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San Diego Police Lock Down Islamic Center After Fatal Active Shooter Attack

San Diego Police Lock Down Islamic Center After Fatal Active Shooter Attack
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Police in San Diego locked down a large mosque complex in the Clairemont Mesa neighborhood on Monday after reports of an active shooter left at least one person dead and multiple people feared injured, prompting a massive multi‑agency response and citywide alerts latimes +1. Officers said the scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego remained “active but contained” more than an hour after the first 911 calls came in around 11:40 a.m. local time latimes +1.

The Islamic Center of San Diego, the county’s largest mosque and home to the Al Rashid School, sits just off Interstate 805 on Eckstrom Avenue, where television footage showed heavily armed officers, SWAT vehicles and medics converging as children and congregants were evacuated from the grounds latimes +1. Police shut nearby freeway off‑ramps, urged people to avoid the area and set up a reunification point for families about a mile away latimes +2.

What Police Said About the Shooting and Public Safety

San Diego police reported receiving multiple calls of a shooting in or near the mosque complex shortly before midday, triggering an immediate active‑shooter deployment that drew city officers, neighboring agencies, SWAT teams and San Diego Fire‑Rescue crews latimes +2. Around 12:43 p.m., the department said in a social media post that the situation was “still active but contained,” adding that “we have significant resources on scene” and directing relatives to a reunification site at 4125 Hathaway Street latimes +1.

Local outlet KGTV reported that at least one person had been killed, while the Los Angeles Times cited police accounts of “multiple serious injuries” that had not yet been publicly confirmed by authorities 10news +1. As of early afternoon, police had not released a final casualty count, details on victims’ conditions or any information about a suspect’s identity, possible motive or whether anyone was in custody 10news +2. Road closures included the northbound and southbound I‑805 off‑ramps at Balboa Avenue, as officers urged residents and commuters to stay away and shelter in place if already nearby latimes +1.

Officials’ Response and a Community on Edge

Mayor Todd Gloria said he had been briefed on the shooting reports and was receiving updates from law enforcement, noting that emergency personnel were “actively working to protect the community and secure the area” 10news +1. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the state’s Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local authorities and praised first responders, while urging the public to follow police guidance rollingout. Helicopter footage broadcast by several local stations showed lines of children and adults being escorted out by officers, underscoring the fear gripping a campus that regularly hosts worshippers and students latimes +2.

No immediate public statement from the Islamic Center’s leadership had been reported in the first wave of coverage, as the priority remained reuniting families and stabilizing the scene the-sun +1.

The Bigger Picture

With casualty figures and suspect details still unclear, the Clairemont shooting left San Diego’s Muslim community and the wider city waiting for answers about what unfolded at one of the region’s most prominent Islamic institutions. Investigators were expected to spend hours, if not days, processing the expansive mosque and school campus, piecing together a timeline of events and determining whether the attack was targeted or random. For now, authorities emphasized containment and public safety, while families at the reunification center focused on a more immediate question: who among their loved ones had made it out.