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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley Muslim leader said attacks on houses of worship have become too common after two teenage gunmen killed three men at a San Diego Islamic Center on Monday.
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Usama Shami, president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, said the violence is reverberating far beyond Southern California.
“People who go to houses of worship, they need to know that they’re safe,” Shami said. “And it’s really sad commentary about our society.”
Two teenage gunmen opened fire at an Islamic Center in San Diego on Monday and killed three men before killing themselves a few blocks away, police said. Authorities said a security guard played a pivotal role in stopping the attack from becoming much worse.
Valley mosques also targeted
Shami said attacks on houses of worship have become too common across multiple faiths, not just Islam.
Valley Muslim leaders said local places of worship have also been targeted. On March 17, during Ramadan, someone vandalized a crescent moon display on a mountain in Tempe. A mosque in north Phoenix was also hit with paintballs, according to community members.
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Investigators said the suspects in the San Diego case may be as young as 17. Shami said when hate shows up that early, it is often learned from adults and that education at home and in the community can help prevent it.
“It all has to do with education, and education starts with the family,” Shami said. “Our mosque hosts a couple times a month where schools can come to the mosque and have their children exposed to it.”
San Diego police said they are still working to determine what led to the shooting and expect to release more information later this week.
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