ONE of the three victims of the mosque shooting in San Diego reportedly made a last heroic move to save his wife before he was cornered and gunned down by two teens in a parking lot.

The shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, which is being probed as a hate crime, left five people dead, including two suspects aged 17 and 18.

Nader Awad, one of the teachers at the center home to a school for pre-K to third-grade students, was killed in the shooting and identified by community members, KTLA reported.

Awad reportedly lived across the street from the county’s largest mosque and rushed over as soon as he heard the gunfire just before noon.

“He was living across the street, just a few steps only,” Abdul Saleem, a community member who knew all three of the men killed, told KTLA.

“When he heard the shots, he came to see what was going on because his wife was working there and he wanted to make sure that his wife was secure.”

Gunfire broke out at the Islamic Center around 11:40am on Monday and upon arrival, police found three men dead at the scene.

Children were evacuated from the scene and formed human chains as they linked their arms, moving to safety. No children were harmed in the attack, police confirmed.

Police said that Awad and Mansour Kaziha, who also worked at the center, got the suspects to follow them away from the building and into the parking lot where they were ultimately cornered and killed, KGW reported.

Around the same time, San Diego police officers responded to reports of active gunfire a few blocks away, where a landscaper was shot at while working but was left uninjured.

Moments later, cops found a vehicle in the middle of another nearby street with the suspected shooters dead inside from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

The two teens have been identified by the media as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Velasquez, 18.

Clark was reportedly a former high school wrestling star at a nearby school, Madison High School.

Saleem identified one of the other victims as Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the mosque and a father of eight.

“Whenever he saw the people, he said, ‘There’s something strange. Close the doors,” Saleem said of Abdullah.

Police said Abdullah had stopped the shooting from becoming worse as panic spread throughout the center.

“We do believe the security guard was able to help at least minimize the situation to the front area of the mosque,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.

“At this point, I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic. Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”

What we know so far …

• Two teen suspects opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego just before noon on May 18.
• The suspects were later found dead from suicide inside a car a few blocks away from the center and were identified as Caleb Velasquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17.
• Police confirmed there were three victims in the shooting, who all worked at the center.
• One of the victims was identified as Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the mosque and a father of eight.
• Abdullah was hailed by police as a hero for his quick actions that helped minimize the threat at the mosque, which is also home to a school for pre-K to third-grade students.
• Another victim was identified as Nader Awad, who lived across the street and rushed over when he heard gunfire to ensure his wife, who was working at the time, was safe.
• The third victim was identified as Mansour Kaziha, who worked at the center’s food store. Police said Awad and Kaziha got the suspects to follow them into a nearby parking lot away from the building before they were cornered and killed.
• Police confirmed they are investigating the shooting as a hate crime after investigators found Nazi markings on a gas can and anti-Islamic messages on the suspects’ firearms and in their getaway car.
• A nine-year-old student recalled trembling and hiding in a closet with his classmates as they heard around a dozen gunshots.

The third man who lost his life in the shooting was identified by friends as Kaziha, a community leader who also went by Abu Izz.

Kaziha worked at the center’s food store.

Fayaz Nawabi, the founder and executive director of For The People Action group, mourned the three victims in a series of heartbreaking Facebook posts.

Nawabi said Kaziha left behind a “legacy of service, selflessness, and honor.”

Nader, Nawabi said, had served as a kindergarten teacher for decades.

He recalled his friend’s heroic efforts during Monday’s shooting, saying, “When Nader heard the gunshots, he immediately ran toward the danger.

“He grabbed whatever he could from brother Amin Abdullah and went inside to confront the two terrorists. He was martyred in the process.

“Brother Nader was always trying to do right by people, especially by his children.”

Cops are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime after anti-Islamic messages were reportedly found on the gunmen’s weapons and inside of their car.

Images from the crime scene appeared to show a gas can beside their BMW with an “SS” sticker, believed to reference Schutzstaffel, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi paramilitary organization.

Officials also found anti-Islamic writings inside the vehicle and “hate speech” written across their firearms, the New York Post reported.

The mother of one of the suspected gunmen called police hours before the shooting happened to report that her son was missing along with her car and three of her weapons.

She told police she believed her son was suicidal and was with a companion, dressed in camouflage.

Source: the-sun