On Monday morning, May 18, 2026, three men were killed in a targeted attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Fifty-seven-year-old Nadir Awad, who lived across the street from the mosque, ran toward gunfire after hearing shots while his wife was working at the center’s school, where about 140 children were present. Awad and 78-year-old Mansour Kaziha deliberately drew the attackers out of the building into the parking lot; both were killed there. Security guard Amin Abdullah engaged the shooters in a gun battle and was fatally shot, but his actions helped lock down the building and keep many inside safe.

Investigators say the two shooters, 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, had been radicalized online and left behind writings expressing white supremacist and other hateful views. The pair fled, were found dead several blocks away from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and no arrests were made. Authorities also recovered a significant cache of firearms linked to the teens. The three victims are remembered by the community as having taken actions that prevented the attackers from reaching the classrooms.

Does anyone have information about Nadir Awad or the events that morning that could help fill gaps in the timeline?