{"id":1920,"date":"2026-05-19T17:43:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/19\/it-doesnt-feel-real-witnesses-describe-shock-and-disbelief-after-san-diego-mosque-attack\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:43:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:43:07","slug":"it-doesnt-feel-real-witnesses-describe-shock-and-disbelief-after-san-diego-mosque-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=1920","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It doesn\u2019t feel real\u2019: witnesses describe shock and disbelief after San Diego mosque attack"},"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=\"b904447b-628d-4c92-9fb0-736626d4a41b\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"two women embrace each other as police stand nearby\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/74020d0f2f81a5e088d51c77f48ed931fc819d61\/0_0_2287_1525\/master\/2287.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.067774376913\" 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\">Two women embrace after the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in southern California, on 18 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Zoe Meyers\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/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=\"b904447b-628d-4c92-9fb0-736626d4a41b\" 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\">Two women embrace after the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in southern California, on 18 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Zoe Meyers\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/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\">\u2018It doesn\u2019t feel real\u2019: witnesses describe shock and disbelief after San Diego mosque attack<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-b3fmmo\">\n<p>Friends, family and strangers are reeling after latest mass shooting, an attack being investigated as hate crime<\/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\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">M<\/span>aya, 13, stood just beyond the yellow police tape, watching as waves of heavily armed police officers locked down the area around the mosque. Hours before, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/active-shooter-report-san-diego-islamic-center\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">three people had been shot<\/a> and killed at the Islamic Center of San Diego: the largest mosque in the county, and an important neighborhood gathering spot and place of worship for Maya\u2019s family and many others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The seventh-grader, whose mother gave her permission to speak to the media, tapped her nails nervously against her phone. Her teeth chattered in the 70-degree <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/california\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">California<\/a> heat. The gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in in real time, as more people gathered at the scene.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOh my God,\u201d she said, both watching the officers patrol the surrounding streets and fielding FaceTimes from her friends. \u201cLike it doesn\u2019t feel real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Across San Diego and broader southern California, friends, family and strangers are reeling after the latest American mass shooting, an attack that authorities said was being investigated as a hate crime. The suspected shooters \u2013 two teenagers, one 17 and one 18 \u2013 reportedly died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"21d04249-e390-4a6d-b34d-c4c7ee2a5173\" 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-4 | 4\" 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\/19\/nine-year-old-boy-san-diego-shooting-mosque\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Boy, 9, recounts deadly shooting at San Diego mosque: \u2018We saw a bunch of bad stuff\u2019<\/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\">Outside the mosque and the police tape, emotions were raw and unfiltered on Monday afternoon, in a setting that felt both horrific and business-as-usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Terrified parents reunited with their children, many of whom attend an on-site school, at a temporary \u201creunification center\u201d nearby. News crews set up shots, making sure the mosque was visible in the background. Local officials arranged press conferences a few blocks from the mosque at regular intervals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">For Maya, the shocking event hit close to home \u2013 she said her grandfather worked at the mosque as a security guard. So as the news started to break, and her friends texted in flurries, she immediately thought of him. Once she called her mom, the middle schooler finally found out her grandfather was safe \u2013 he wasn\u2019t scheduled to work on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s such a crazy thing, like he always works during this time. So just thinking like he could have been hurt today \u2026\u201d Maya trailed off, choking up.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"c752b64e-d6b6-46a1-b704-1236f4ba4215\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Police outside the Islamic Centre of San Diego after the shooting.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/6eba44de6ee192cbcbc5f86bee864e0a09658dad\/0_0_5500_3667\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.69363636363636\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"c752b64e-d6b6-46a1-b704-1236f4ba4215\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Police outside the Islamic Centre of San Diego after the shooting. <\/span> Photograph: Mike Blake\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Maya said she knew the three victims from family gatherings and from Ramadan, when she would see them every day. Among those killed include another security guard, whom Maya remembered as a \u201creally sweet\u201d person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cHe sacrificed his life to save everyone else\u2019s,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the wake of the shooting, statements of support poured in and political and community leaders rushed to condemn the attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe have never experienced a tragedy like this before, and at this moment, all what I can say is sending our prayers and standing in solidarity with all the families in our community here and also the other mosques, and all the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,\u201d Taha Hassane, an imam and director of the center, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/active-shooter-report-san-diego-islamic-center\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">said on Monday<\/a>. \u201cIt is a house of worship. It\u2019s not a battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Outside the mosque, one man, who preferred only to go by the first name Jesus, said he had just started attending the Islamic Center of San Diego about a month ago, when he moved to California from New York. He was even planning to stop by the mosque on Monday at noon, around the time of the shooting, but had a last-minute job interview instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAnd then I get a WhatsApp text saying, \u2018Don\u2019t come to the mosque, shots fired.\u2019\u201d he said. Jesus sped over anyway. \u201cAll I see is police running with guns and ARs, and people crying. And I just didn\u2019t know how to react. I just want to be there for the community in any way I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Jesus said he would be back at the mosque as soon as they open back up again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe Islamophobia going on in this country \u2013 that\u2019s not going to stop me from praying five times a day, it\u2019s not going to stop me from standing with my community. It\u2019s not going to stop me from advocating for our people,\u201d he said. \u201cIf anything, it\u2019s making me want to do it more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Many others who don\u2019t have personal ties to the mosque also gathered around the chaotic scene on Monday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"642cd70b-a728-4c02-af2e-bc3fc1614e21\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Taha Hassane, Iman for the Islamic Center of San Diego, speaks near the scene of a shooting on Monday.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4e66ea82843a4c23f870e4b1377c67b9f568c740\/0_0_6000_4000\/master\/6000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"642cd70b-a728-4c02-af2e-bc3fc1614e21\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Taha Hassane, Iman for the Islamic Center of San Diego, speaks near the scene of a shooting on Monday. <\/span> Photograph: Gregory Bull\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">One 16-year-old named Tommy had just come from Madison high school, only about a mile from the site of the shooting \u2013 and reportedly the school that one of the suspected shooters had also attended through an online course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">When the shots were first fired nearby, the high school went into lockdown, Tommy said. He and a handful of students and staff headed to what seemed like the closest secure place \u2013 the cafeteria kitchen \u2013 where they locked the doors and waited for further instructions. He guessed that about half an hour went by before they could leave the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Now, Tommy has gotten somewhat desensitized to the frantic, terrifying moments that accompany American shootings. The teenager is originally from Vietnam, and he has only been in the United States for about a year and a half. But the shooting lockdown on Monday was already the second lockdown his school had had this year alone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt goes with the stereotypes that I have heard about America,\u201d he said, looking out at the police tape and the armed officers and the flashing lights.<\/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-mosque-shooting\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">San Diego mosque shooting<\/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\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%E2%80%98It%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20feel%20real%E2%80%99:%20witnesses%20describe%20shock%20and%20disbelief%20after%20San%20Diego%20mosque%20attack&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/san-diego-mosque-shooting-reaction?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F19%2Fsan-diego-mosque-shooting-reaction&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/san-diego-mosque-shooting-reaction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two women embrace after the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in southern California, on 18<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}