The sons of a San Diego mosque security guard who died shielding children from gunmen say their father spent his entire life protecting others — and in his final moments, he did it one last time.

Amin Abdullah, the security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego, is being hailed as a hero for preventing further tragedy during the mosque shooting.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called it a “violent act of hate,” and campaigners linked the shooting to negative comments about Muslims from lawmakers.