Disturbing footage has surfaced, showing young children being evacuated from an Islamic center in San Diego amidst chaos created by two teenage gunmen.
Aerial images captured more than a dozen children, likely all under the age of 5, forming a line while they were guided to safety by law enforcement officers.
The children were linked together, each gripping the shoulders of the child in front of them.
Those leading the line were seen leaving the center hand-in-hand with officers.
This center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and also hosts the Al Rashid School, which provides courses in Arabic, Islamic studies, and the Koran for students aged 5 and older, according to its site.
During this sensitive time, there was initial chaos due to the start of Dhu al-Ijah, which marks one of the most sacred months in the Islamic calendar, prompting many to travel to Mecca.
“We are safe, and everyone here, the children, staff, and teachers, are safe and out of the Islamic center,” the Imam, Taha Hasan, stated in a video shared with the nearby Muslim community.
The attackers have been identified as former high school wrestlers, Kane Clark, 17, and Caleb Velasquez, 18.
Authorities reported receiving a call from a worried mother at around 9:42 a.m., which led to an escalation in their response. She expressed concern that her son was exhibiting suicidal tendencies, and some of his firearms and his vehicle were unaccounted for.
She also mentioned he was with friends and wearing camouflage.
While police have not confirmed his involvement in the shooting, some details seem to correspond with those reported.
The teens, later discovered deceased in a vehicle several blocks away, attacked the mosque, resulting in the deaths of security guard Amin Abdullah, a teacher, and a grocery store employee at the center.
They also targeted landscapers, who fortunately survived.
A local teacher, known as Mohamed Nader, recounted hearing the disturbance and hurried to assess the situation.
“He lived just across the street, barely a few steps away,” remarked a shocked acquaintance, Abdul Saleem.
“My wife was working there during the attack, and upon hearing the gunfire, I had to check on her.”
Saleem noted that Abdullah had noticed the gunmen and warned, “There’s something wrong, close the door.”
Former student Sara Youssef, 19, paid her respects to Abdullah, calling him a “kind soul.”
Now attending the University of California, Irvine, she recalled how he always welcomed everyone with a warm smile. “Throughout your life, he was always there for everyone,” she added.
Clark and Velasquez, both students at iHigh Virtual Academy since 2021, were discovered in their BMW with self-inflicted wounds, a few blocks from the center.
Investigators found anti-Muslim graffiti on the attackers’ vehicle, as well as the phrase “hate speech” etched on the firearm used in this tragic event.
A shotgun bearing an SS emblem and a gas can were located at the site where the gunmen’s bodies were found.
The “SS” emblem is believed to reference the Schutzstaffel, a notorious paramilitary group from Adolf Hitler’s regime in Germany.
Law enforcement subsequently executed search warrants for Clark’s home and locations connected to Velasquez.
SWAT teams entered Clark’s residence, announcing “warrant” while gaining access.
That afternoon, police units and tactical officers approached a property linked to Velasquez, but there were no cries for help.
“They had the area secured a few houses down,” a local reported.
“I didn’t see them drawing weapons, and it seemed they weren’t using loudspeakers, so it felt like they were searching for someone.”
Neighbors described Velasquez’s family as generally quiet yet pleasant when approached.
This incident is under investigation as a hate crime.
