Police were searching for teens behind San Diego mosque shooting before the bloodshed began

By

JULIE WATSON and EUGENE JOHNSON

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Before the first shot rang out at a San Diego mosque in a deadly shooting that would leave three men dead, police were already scrambling to find two teenagers who would ultimately be responsible.The search began after a mother of one of the teenagers reported her son was suicidal and had run away, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, who said weapons were missing from the home and her vehicle was gone.Two hours later, the shooting began at the Islamic Center of San Diego, just blocks away from the home.The suspects, ages 17 and 18, were found in a vehicle after killing themselves a few blocks from the site of the shooting.Authorities planned to execute search warrants related to the investigation Tuesday as they piece together how and why the shooting unfolded. There was no specific threat made against the Islamic center, but authorities found evidence that the suspects engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric,” Wahl said, noting that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

The center, which said it was closed until further notice, is the largest mosque in San Diego and typically holds five daily prayers.

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