États-Unis: une fusillade dans une mosquée de Californie fait plusieurs victimes
At least three people died in a San Diego, California, mosque after two suspected gunmen stormed the building. The gunmen were found dead near the place of worship, US authorities announced Monday, May 18. President Donald Trump called it a "terrible situation."
After confirming their response, San Diego police confirmed that at least three people died in a San Diego mosque, California, following an intrusion by two suspected gunmen. The gunmen, two teenagers, were also found dead.
"At this stage, it appears the suspects died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds," said local police chief Scott Wahl at a press conference. "We believe they were 17 and 19 years old," he added, without revealing their identities.
While the suspects' motives remain unknown at this time, the police are currently treating the case as an Islamophobic attack.
Of the three victims killed in the attack, "one of the deceased was a security guard," Scott Wahl added. According to initial findings of the investigation, he "played a crucial role in preventing the situation from being much worse."
The two suspected gunmen targeted the Islamic Center of San Diego, a facility that houses the largest mosque in this region of Southern California and also provides classes for children.
Police received calls reporting gunfire around midday and quickly deployed dozens of heavily armed officers to the scene. The first officers arrived "within four minutes" and found "three dead bodies" outside the center, according to the San Diego police chief.
"A terrible situation"
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Reacting to the announcement from local authorities, President Donald Trump lamented "a terrible situation": "I have been given some initial information, but we will be reviewing the situation closely," he replied to a question from the press at the White House.
“All the children, staff, and teachers are safe outside the Islamic center,” explained one of the center’s imams, Imam Taha Hassane, in a message. “We have never experienced a tragedy like this before,” he added, offering his prayers to the city’s Muslim community. “It is utterly outrageous to target a place of worship,” he declared.
The city's mayor, Todd Gloria, sought to reassure the Muslim community: "We will do everything we can to make you feel safe in this city," reported our correspondent in Washington, Vincent Souriau.
Nearly 15,000 people will be killed by firearms by 2025
With more firearms in circulation than people, the United States has the highest gun fatality rate of any developed country. Shootings are a recurring scourge that successive governments have so far failed to curb, as many Americans remain deeply attached to their guns.
By 2025, nearly 15,000 people, not counting suicides, will have been killed by firearms, according to Gun Violence Archive.
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