Father of 8 Makes Ultimate Sacrifice During Attack at San Diego Mosque

A security guard came to work on a Monday morning, greeted a parent like he always did, and sent one last message through her. No one standing there knew it would become part of a goodbye.

Amin Abdullah was on duty at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, 2026, when two gunmen opened fire outside the mosque. He was a father of eight, and in the minutes that followed, people who knew him would come to believe he had done exactly what he had always done: put others first.

Who Was the Man Standing at the Door?

The Islamic Center of San Diego is the largest mosque in San Diego County, and it is also connected to a school for young children. Classes for kindergarten through third grade were being held inside the building that morning.

Abdullah was the person many families saw before anyone else.

Sam Hamideh, who had known Abdullah for four years, told CNN that his friend was never just a man in uniform. "Every single time you crossed him, he always put a smile on your face, he always brought that energy of everything's good, having that strong faith in God and always being kind," Hamideh said.

Hamideh's middle child attended the school inside the mosque, so Abdullah was part of the family's daily routine. Whenever Hamideh or his wife arrived for drop-off, Abdullah would hurry over to the car, greet them, and help start the day with warmth.

That Monday looked ordinary at first. Then one small sentence became unbearable.

What Did He Say Before the Shooting?

When Hamideh's wife pulled up on the morning of the attack, Abdullah greeted her as usual. Then he asked her to pass along a message to her husband. "Say hello to Sam," Abdullah told her.

"I didn't know it was his goodbye," Hamideh said. "That was crushing."

After Hamideh learned there had been a shooting, he called his child's teacher first. His second call was to Abdullah. He already seemed to understand why his friend was not answering.

"I know that he knew he was sacrificing his life for the kids," Hamideh said. "Because if he didn't take that bullet, they would easily walk up the stairs."

And the news was devastating for another reason:

"Just knowing that having that type of person that's willing to put their life and protect other people's kids so they can hug their kids, but he's got to go home and to be buried by his kids, that hurts."

How Did the Attack Unfold?

Shortly before noon on May 18, two gunmen opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. The attack left five people dead in total, including three victims and the two teenage suspects.

Police reached the scene within four minutes of the first emergency calls, according to The New York Post. Officers described the response as fast and "dynamic," with law enforcement entering both the mosque and the attached school.

When officers arrived, they found three victims dead outside the mosque. Abdullah was one of them. Teachers, staff, and children were later escorted out safely, some walking hand in hand with officers. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said Abdullah "played a pivotal role in keeping this from being much worse."

Wahl also said, "We do believe the security guard was able to help at least minimize the situation to the front area of the mosque."

Then he put it more plainly:

"His actions were heroic, he saved lives today."

The praise did not sound exaggerated to the people who had seen Abdullah at work every day. One community member remembered him as the kind of person who welcomed everyone who came through the doors.

"Every time you came, he greeted you and welcomed you," that person told reporters. "Very energetic, very strong, very professional. You could tell he was willing to do his job greatly."

Who Were the Suspects?

Authorities identified one of the suspects as 17-year-old Cain Clark, a homeschooled wrestler from San Diego. The second suspect was 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez. Police found both young men dead in a vehicle on a nearby street. Authorities said they appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Investigators began looking into the shooting as a hate crime. Officials said hate speech had been written on one of the weapons used in the attack, and a suicide note found at one suspect's parents' home contained writings about racial pride.

Wahl said the note did not name the Islamic Center or any specific location as a target. He described the language as general hate speech that covered "a wide gamut."

The FBI joined local law enforcement in the investigation, with officials reviewing evidence, speaking with relatives and friends, and examining surveillance footage from the mosque.

What Warning Came Before the Attack?

Roughly two hours before the shooting was reported, Clark's mother contacted police. She told them her son and her vehicle were missing, and that several of her weapons were gone, too.

She also said Clark was suicidal and with another person. According to Wahl, she told police both were dressed in camouflage.

That report raised the level of concern.

Dispatch audio, later reviewed by CNN, captured officers looking around noon for "two white males" in camouflage who could be armed with a stolen handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle. Unfortunately, by the time police reached the Islamic Center, the warning had already become something far worse.

Who Was Cain Clark Before That Day?

Clark had been placed in an online homeschooling program in 2021, officials said. He previously studied at Kate Sessions Elementary School before moving on to the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.

Because Madison High School served his local neighborhood, he retained the right to join its athletic programs and extracurricular activities. From 2024 to 2025, he competed on the Madison High wrestling team, though school officials noted that he has not taken part in any campus activities this year.

In January 2024, the wrestling team posted on Instagram, congratulating him for taking first place at a tournament and receiving an award. School officials said Clark had been on track to graduate. His only noted disciplinary issue was from elementary school in 2015, when he punched someone in the leg.

Family members expressed total shock at the news. While speaking with CNN, Clark's grandparents, David and Deborah Clark, shared that they are still struggling to process the situation and felt deeply sorry for the events that occurred.

Additionally, a former wrestling teammate, who requested anonymity, recalled Clark as a homeschooled student who just wanted to fit in and added that they never could have imagined him committing such an act.

The teammate also said he had never heard Clark make Islamophobic or racist comments and had never seen him act violently.

What Happens to Abdullah's Family Now?

Abdullah's death left behind a spouse, eight children, and a community determined not to let his family face the future alone. A fundraiser organized by CAIR San Diego and the Islamic Center of San Diego has raised more than $1.7 million toward a $2 million goal as of this writing.

The money is intended to help cover funeral and burial costs, rent, groceries, utilities, education for Abdullah's children, long-term support for his family, and trauma counseling.

The campaign described Abdullah as the man who stood between the gunmen and the people inside. It also asked people to think about the children he left behind.

"You do not have to share Amin's faith to stand with his family," the campaign said. "You only have to believe that a man who died shielding children would be proud to know that his own children will be cared for."

Other Victims

As previously reported, police said the suspects also fired at a landscaper nearby, though the worker was not injured. Officials described the investigation as complex, with multiple crime scenes spread across several blocks.

But ultimately, Police Chief Wahl said authorities were not yet releasing the identities of the other two victims killed in the shooting because investigators were still notifying family members and continuing to process evidence related to the case.

"We're trying to protect kind of what we have," Wahl said during the news conference. "There's more work to be done."

As authorities continue investigating the shooting, the case has left the San Diego community searching for answers about how the violence unfolded and whether more warning signs could have been spotted before the attack.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.