Police in California responded Monday to an active shooter report at a mosque in San Diego, telling residents to stay away from the area around the Islamic Center of San Diego as officers rushed in with significant resources on scene.
The department said later Monday that the situation remained active but had been contained. No official casualty figures were released. The center sits in Clairemont, a residential neighborhood north of downtown San Diego, where the response unfolded in a community setting that drew a swift security perimeter and a heavy police presence.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he was continuing to receive reports about the incident and that emergency personnel were on scene and actively working to protect the community and secure the area. The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was following the situation and coordinating with local law enforcement agencies, while also expressing gratitude to first responders at the scene.
One officer, Anthony Carrasco, told the that he believed people had been shot, but officials did not publicly confirm casualties in the information available Monday. The gap between what officers feared and what had been formally reported underscored how fast the scene was developing, with investigators still working behind the police tape and residents being told to keep clear of the area.
The Islamic Center of San Diego has become the focus of the emergency response as authorities keep control of the site and press ahead with their investigation. For a neighborhood that was asked to stand back while armed officers and emergency crews moved in, the immediate question is not whether the danger has passed, but what police will confirm next about what happened inside the mosque.
