Live updates: 3 killed in shooting at San Diego’s largest mosque - CNN

The three people who were killed in yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego have been identified as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, representatives of local Muslim organizations said Tuesday.

At a news conference Tuesday, officials said the actions of the three victims were crucial in preventing more violence at the city’s largest mosque. They also provided updates on the ongoing investigation into the attack.

Heroic security guard: The actions by Amin Abdullah, the security guard, were described as nothing short of heroic by officials and the mosque’s director. Abdullah “immediately observed” the threat as the suspects ran past him and began to engage them with gunfire, at which point both suspects returned fire, said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. He prevented them from entering the mosque and gaining access to classrooms where as many as 140 children were inside, he said. Without his actions, there would have been “many more fatalities yesterday,” the chief said.

Other victims confronted shooters: The other two victims, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, were killed as they tried to draw the attention of the suspected shooters away from the mosque and into the parking lot, Wahl said. They were cornered by the suspects and were “unable to flee,” he added.

More details about victims: The men killed yesterday will be mourned as martyrs, heroes and “brothers in the community,” said Imam Taha Hassane, director of the mosque. Kaziha was a community elder and “pillar” of the center who had been there since he helped it break ground in 1986, he said. He was a handyman, a cook, a caretaker and storekeeper. Awad joined prayers at the mosque every day and his wife is a teacher at the school, Hassane said.

Mosque received hate calls: The Islamic Center of San Diego has done everything it can to protect the building as they have received hate mails and threats over the years, said Hassane. “We have a fence, security armed guards, security cameras covering every single spot inside and outside the Islamic center,” he said, adding they never expected an attack like Monday’s.

Numerous weapons seized: Law enforcement seized more than 30 guns, including numerous pistols, rifles and shotguns, as well as a crossbow while executing three search warrants at residences associated with the suspects, said Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego. Tactical gear, ammunition and electronics were also seized, he said. They also identified a “manifesto” covering a “wide aspect of races and religions,” which the FBI will analyze. “They didn’t discriminate on who they hated,” Remily added.

Suspects radicalized online: The two teenage suspects appear to have been radicalized online and also met online, where they discovered they both lived in the San Diego area, Remily said. Authorities are still working to figure out how the radicalization happened, he added.

Tips requested: Wahl encouraged anyone who has tips to help the investigation to reach out to law enforcement, adding the attack “didn’t just happen overnight.” Investigators are still gathering evidence and haven’t yet determined whether the mosque was the primary target of the suspects, said Remily.