{"id":1878,"date":"2026-05-19T14:41:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T14:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/19\/boy-9-recounts-deadly-shooting-at-san-diego-mosque-we-saw-a-bunch-of-bad-stuff\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T14:41:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T14:41:26","slug":"boy-9-recounts-deadly-shooting-at-san-diego-mosque-we-saw-a-bunch-of-bad-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=1878","title":{"rendered":"Boy, 9, recounts deadly shooting at San Diego mosque: \u2018We saw a bunch of bad stuff\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"fe814410-db0e-40ba-b942-7817bde1e033\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People embrace near the scene of a shooting\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/38db0d13795897e52d958ff4c195fac2e0fd5965\/0_0_3050_2034\/master\/3050.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.1016393442623\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People embrace near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on 18 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Gregory Bull\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fe814410-db0e-40ba-b942-7817bde1e033\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People embrace near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on 18 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Gregory Bull\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Boy, 9, recounts deadly shooting at San Diego mosque: \u2018We saw a bunch of bad stuff\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Odai Shanah details being among the children forced to huddle in a classroom during attack at the Islamic Center<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A nine-year-old boy has described witnessing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/active-shooter-report-san-diego-islamic-center\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Monday\u2019s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego<\/a>, saying that he \u201csaw bad stuff\u201d and huddled in closet during the attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Odai Shanah, whose mother emigrated from war-torn Gaza and settled in southern California two decades ago, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/i-saw-bad-stuff-says-9-year-old-who-huddled-closet-during-california-mosque-2026-05-19\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Reuters<\/a> that he heard a barrage of gunshots coming from outside the walls of the mosque complex, which also houses an Islamic day school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He recounted being among dozens of children forced to huddle in classrooms when deadly gunfire erupted at the mosque.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"b243eb39-2656-4aec-9590-d4d7a5a2a27a\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/active-shooter-report-san-diego-islamic-center\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Three people killed in shooting at San Diego\u2019s largest mosque, police say<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Shanah said he and his classmates were trembling in fear as 12 to 16 more shots rang out after they were quickly ushered into that closet and crowded there together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">After the shooting stopped, the boy said, he and his companions heard members of a special tactical police team shouting from outside the classroom: \u201c\u2018OK, open up,\u2019 then they opened the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But as they were escorted out of the building, \u201cwe saw a bunch of bad stuff, people laying down and yeah, bad stuff,\u201d Shanah said. He acknowledged meaning that he and the other children had seen bodies as they walked out in \u201ca big line\u201d with their hands up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cMy legs were shaking and my hands and my head were like hurting a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt like a rock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Shanah gave Reuters his heartbreaking account of the shooting after permission was granted to the outlet by his parents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It was a stark reminder of how youths in the US are disproportionately affected \u2013 whether directly or indirectly \u2013 by gun violence, which is the country\u2019s leading cause of death for teenagers or younger children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Police have said three adults affiliated with the Islamic Center were killed during the attack, including a security guard, who officials said played a crucial role in limiting the loss of life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two attackers, aged 17 and 18, also died in the shooting, apparently taking their own lives in a stolen car they used to transport them to the site of the attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">San Diego police chief Scott Wahl said Monday that the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime and that the mother of one of the suspects had found a note.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAt this point, there was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was generalized hate rhetoric and speech,\u201d but no specific threat was made to \u201cany facility or any place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/san-diego\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">San Diego<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/gun-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Gun crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/california\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">California<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/west-coast\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">West Coast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Boy,%209,%20recounts%20deadly%20shooting%20at%20San%20Diego%20mosque:%20%E2%80%98We%20saw%20a%20bunch%20of%20bad%20stuff%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/nine-year-old-boy-san-diego-shooting-mosque?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" 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