{"id":211227,"date":"2026-05-20T20:04:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T20:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/victims-of-san-diego-mosque-shooting-remembered-as-pillars-of-local-muslim-community-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T20:04:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T20:04:48","slug":"victims-of-san-diego-mosque-shooting-remembered-as-pillars-of-local-muslim-community-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/victims-of-san-diego-mosque-shooting-remembered-as-pillars-of-local-muslim-community-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Victims of San Diego mosque shooting remembered as pillars of local Muslim community – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Tributes are pouring in for the three victims of Monday\u2019s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego<\/a>, with the men being honored as heroes and pillars of the local Muslim community.
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Among the victims are a \u201cheroic\u201d security guard, a longtime owner of a store in the Islamic Center and a pious man known for his generosity, community members say.
The victims have been identified as security guard Amin Abdullah; Mansour Kaziha, a community leader who managed the mosque store for nearly 40 years; and Nadir Awad, who \u201cturned away community members from the bullets and saved lives.\u201d
\u201cThese three protected children inside the center and school and there is no doubt that the casualties would have been much worse without their heroism,\u201d according to a statement from the Islamic Center of San Diego, CAIR San Diego, the Muslim Leadership Council, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans and the Muslim American Society.
The shooting has sent shock waves through the Muslim community in Southern California and around the country, with many calling for an end to what they call a \u201ccampaign of hate\u201d from mainstream politicians.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called it a \u201cviolent act of hate\u201d and urged the city to unite against Islamophobia. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was horrified by \u201can apparent act of anti-Muslim violence.\u201d
Abdullah was fatally shot protecting the lives of more than a dozen children and staff members at a school in the Islamic Center, local officials said.
\u201cHe didn\u2019t run. He stood his ground,\u201d CAIR San Diego said in a fundraising campaign. \u201cIn plain words: Amin put himself between the gunmen and everyone inside.\u201d
San Diego Police Chief Scott <\/strong>Wahl detailed Abdullah\u2019s actions at a news conference Tuesday, saying that before Abdullah was killed, he exchanged gunfire with the suspects and was also able to alert the mosque to go into lockdown.
\u201cHis actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects,\u201d Wahl said.
His daughter, Hawaa, described Abdullah as her best friend, role model and life teacher. He smiled at strangers, always looking for the best in people, Hawaa said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Abdullah was so dedicated to his job, she said, that he would sometimes forgo lunch because he worried something bad could happen in his absence, she said.
\u201cMy dad was the No. 1 advocate for safety and keeping our community safe,\u201d Hawaa said, surrounded by relatives. \u201cHe stood against any form of hate. He took his job seriously to protect everyone here.\u201d
Imam Taha Hassane remembered Abdullah as someone who always had a smile on his face.
\u201cHe wasn\u2019t just a guard. He was the first face of that community to anyone who came through the door \u2014 and the last line of defense when it mattered most,\u201d according to the CAIR fundraiser.
More than $2 million has been raised for Abdullah\u2019s family and his funeral expenses.
Kaziha was a cherished member of the Islamic Center\u2019s community.
\u201cHe is the pillar of the Islamic Center of San Diego, has been since 1986 when the community started breaking ground to build the Islamic center,\u201d Hassane said.
Hassane said he called Kaziha for everything and doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019ll do without him.
\u201cAnything that goes wrong, he was the handyman, he was the cook, he was the caretaker, he was the storekeeper, he was everything,\u201d he said.
Kaziha, a native of Syria, was lovingly known by the Arabic nickname \u201cAbu el Ezz,\u201d or father of Ezz, because of his youngest son, Ezzat.
His daughter-in-law Carolina Gaytan said she met him when she visited the store to pick up books about Islam more than 17 years ago.
\u201cEverybody who ever steps foot in the masjid met Abu el Ezz,\u201d Gaytan told NBC News. \u201cHe was the most welcoming, most heartwarming person in the world.\u201d
A few years later, Gaytan married Kaziha\u2019s son Ammar. She credited her father-in-law with helping her learn about Islam and guiding her through life.
\u201cHe was my dad, you know, by all means he was my dad,\u201d Gaytan said through tears. \u201cHe took care of me, and he loved my children, my kids loved him.\u201d
Kaziha leaves behind five sons and 14 grandchildren. Gaytan, her husband and their five children had plans to see him this weekend.
\u201cIt\u2019s still a shock. I still don\u2019t know if we fully understand what happened,\u201d she said.
Awad lived across the street from the Islamic Center, and his wife was a teacher at the school, Hassane said at a news conference Tuesday.
He said Awad attended prayers at the center every day.
\u201cWhen he heard the shooting, he rushed to do something, to protect,\u201d Hassane said.
Julia Roach, 47, remembered Nadir Awad for his generosity and kindness, describing him as \u201ca pillar of the community.\u201d Awad\u2019s compassion was on display when he gave Roach\u2019s ex-husband, a recent immigrant at the time, a job driving limos when the couple moved to the area with their infant son in 2012.
It was because of Awad\u2019s help that Roach and her then-husband were able to move into their own apartment.
\u201cHe was just an understanding and kind boss, just absolutely, you know, gracious, and, and a family man himself,\u201d Roach said. \u201cIt was just a wonderful way for my ex-husband to get to know the Muslim community in San Diego, as well.\u201d
Roach worked at the mosque\u2019s school for about six years before she moved to New York, working directly with Awad\u2019s wife and teaching his children.
\u201cThey lived across the street from the mosque, first of all, so they were a deep part of the community,\u201d she said. \u201cI mean, they were always present, and their kids were just lovely human beings, loving, bright, involved with the school and with the community \u2014 just a wonderful family.\u201d
Video of the shooting showed that Awad arrived at the mosque while Abdullah was engaged with the shooters, according to the Islamic center<\/a>. He was hiding out of sight with Kaziha as he spoke with police before the shooters saw him.
Awad and Kaziha were killed while they were chased by the gunmen, the Islamic center said.
\u201cUnfortunately, they sacrificed their lives to protect the entire community inside the Islamic Center of San Diego,\u201d Hassane said.
The center is asking community members to keep the victims and their families in their prayers.
\u201cIt\u2019s time for us as the community to stand together firmly, and to support one another, and to be together all the time,\u201d Hassane said. \u201cThis is the time where we show our unity, where we show our love for one another.\u201d
Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.
Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she\/her.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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