One person was killed Monday, with an unknown number injured, after one or more active shooters attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, drawing a massive police response to the Clairemont Mesa mosque.
Two suspects are dead, according to a high-ranking City Hall official, who said they both killed themselves. The official said the victim was a security guard at the faith center, the largest mosque in San Diego County.
San Diego police said that officers initially responded to reports of possible active shooter at the Islamic Center, but added later that the situation had been “contained.”
On X at 12:03 p.m., the department reported that “SDPD is on scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the 7000 block of Eckstrom Ave for a reported active shooter.”
The department followed with a 12:44 p.m. update, calling the scene on Eckstrom Avenue “still active but contained,” and adding that SDPD has “significant resources on scene at this time.”
SDPD is on scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the 7000 block of Eckstrom Ave for a reported active shooter.
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) May 18, 2026
Please avoid the area. Updates to follow. #SDPDPIO
Police have not released any information about perpetrators or their possible motive.
Mayor Todd Gloria, on X, said he is, “aware of the active shooter situation at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont and am continuing to receive updates from law enforcement. Emergency personnel are on scene and actively working to protect the community and secure the area.”
He along with police, urged residents to “avoid the area and follow instructions from public safety officials.”
Police also set up a reunification location at 4125 Hathaway St. for loved ones looking to find victims or those who were in the area.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said that he had been briefed on what officials called “an evolving situation” in San Diego, adding that “the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (@Cal_OES) is coordinating with local law enforcement.”
Police have not announced the number of wounded but aerial video aired by NBC San Diego showed one person down with a pool of blood around the body. The footage also showed a massive police presence in the area, just west of Interstate 805.
Witnesses at the scene told Times of San Diego that seven people have been injured.
The incident coincides with Dhu al-Hijjah, which began Monday and is considered one of the holiest times of the year in the Islamic faith, when the Hajj pilgrimage takes place.
Islamic centers and mosques in the region have frequently been targeted with death threats and attacks. In March 2019, a Rancho Peñasquitos man, John Earnest set a fire at the Dar-ul-Arqam mosque in Escondido.
>>@CAGovernor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on an evolving situation in Clairemont community of San Diego, near the Islamic Center.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 18, 2026
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (@Cal_OES) is coordinating with local law enforcement.
We are grateful to the first responders on the…
No one was injured in that attack, but the next month he shot and killed a woman and injured three other people in an attack on a Poway synagogue.
Updated 1:20 p.m. May 18, 2026
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.
Tessa Balc, Brooke Binkowski and Alejandro Maciel contributed to this report.
