The May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD), which killed three members of the mosque community, could have resulted in additional violence, authorities said.
Forsyth County, North Carolina, District Attorney Jim O’Neill said the two teenage suspects allegedly planned to target other locations after the mosque, including a nearby Jewish temple and Black students at a local high school. The Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue, located roughly 1.5 miles from ICSD, was reportedly identified as one of the intended targets.
Tazheen Nizam, executive director of CAIR San Diego, said the reported additional targets highlight how extremist ideologies can threaten multiple communities.
Nizam also pointed to the longstanding impact of Islamophobia in the United States, noting that Muslims have faced discrimination, harassment and bullying in schools, workplaces and public spaces, particularly in the years since 9/11.
Community leaders stressed the importance of education, multicultural engagement and interfaith cooperation in confronting hate and preventing further violence.
The attack and the reported plans for additional targets underscore the need for continued efforts to address Islamophobia, white supremacy and other forms of hate while strengthening solidarity among San Diego’s diverse communities.
Tazheen Nizam, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), San Diego, said she was not surprised the gunmen had other targets. “People who hate a certain type of community ... usually hate other communities as well. We saw that when the attack on the Chabad Poway happened,” she said. “Right before that, the same person had tried to burn down a mosque in Escondido.”
