Three people are dead and an unknown number injured after active shooters attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, drawing a massive police response to the Clairemont Mesa mosque.
A security guard was killed in the shooting. An official said the victim was a security guard at the faith center, the largest mosque in San Diego County. Two suspects are also dead, according to a high-ranking City Hall official, who said they both killed themselves.
Students and education staff on site at the part of center that houses Bright Horizon Academy are all safe and accounted for, according to another City Hall source. That person also confirmed the deaths of the guard and the alleged shooters.
San Diego police have not released any information about the alleged perpetrators. their possible motive or the total number of victims.
The department 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., officials 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,” 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
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.
Tazheen Nizam, executive director of CAIR-San Diego, called the shooting “a horrifying act of violence.”
“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this attack” Nizam said in the Council on American Islamic Relations’ statement. “No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school.”
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.”
Aerial footage aired by NBC San Diego showed a chaotic scene, crowded by police officers and vehicles, with one person down surrounded by a pool of blood. Witnesses near the mosque told Times of San Diego that seven people have been injured.
The Islamic Center hosts five prayers a day at the Mosque, the next of which would have been at 1:15 p.m. The prior prayer had taken place around dawn.
The center is home to the lower campus of Bright Horizon Academy, formerly known as the Islamic School of San Diego, which serves Pre-K through 12th grade. The lower campus houses Pre-K to third grade students.
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.
A representative for San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava said the council meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon had been adjourned. He did not cite the shooting, instead pointing to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Updated 1:45 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.
