Two teenage suspects fatally shot three men at a mosque in San Diego, California, in a suspected hate crime on Monday morning before taking their own lives, police announced. The assault occurred as authorities were investigating a separate call about a potentially suicidal teen who had run away from home.

Police were alerted to the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and discovered three victims with gunshot wounds outside the front of the building. Shortly thereafter, officers received another report of shots fired from a vehicle at a landscaper in the vicinity. The suspects, aged 17 and 18, were found dead from self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle several blocks away from the mosque.

Among the deceased victims was a security guard at the center, whose actions are credited with preventing the attack from becoming more severe. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the guard's actions as heroic, stating that he "undoubtedly saved lives today." The identities of the three victims have not yet been released by authorities, but one of the deceased was identified by a person who knew him as a father of eight.

While investigators have not definitively determined the motive, the attack is being presumed a hate crime. This presumption is based on the fact that the target was a mosque, identified as the largest in San Diego County, and on writings attributed to one of the suspects. The writings included "generalized hate rhetoric and hate speech," according to Chief Wahl, although they contained no specific threats to the mosque or any other location or individual.

Police were first called to the mosque at 11:43 local time, where they observed what appeared to be three deceased victims. Chief Wahl confirmed that no officers fired their weapons and there was no immediate sign of a gunman present at the scene.

Approximately two hours before the mosque shooting, the mother of one of the suspects had contacted police. She reported that her son had left home with several of her guns and her car, accompanied by a companion, and that both were dressed in camouflage. Chief Wahl indicated that police did not find the youth's behavior consistent with someone considered suicidal at that time.

Investigators subsequently followed leads to a local high school, where one of the teens was a student, and to a shopping mall where the suspect's car had been tracked. The timeline of events suggests a rapid escalation from the initial report of a runaway teen with weapons to the deadly attack at the mosque.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the specific motivations of the teenage suspects and any potential accomplices or influences. The attack has sent shockwaves through the community, prompting concerns about rising extremism and hate crimes.