Berk Kutay Gokmen
19 May 2026•Update: 19 May 2026
An American imam called a shooting that left five people dead at an Islamic center in San Diego, California, on Monday “extremely outrageous.”
“We have never experienced a tragedy like this before,” Taha Hassane, who serves as director of the Islamic Center of San Diego where the incident occurred, told reporters.
Authorities said Monday that three victims and two suspected shooters were killed in a shooting incident at the center.
Expressing support for the community, Hassane said all places of worship in the city, including mosques, should always be protected.
“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. Our Islamic center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn, not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life,” he said.
He said that the morning before the incident a group of non-Muslims came to the center “just to learn about our faith and our culture.”
“So this (attack) is something that we never expected,” the imam added.
He expressed deep gratitude for the people “who contacted us from all over the country, and even from overseas to give condolences,” and to those who offered help.
