The deadly attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego and its adjoining Muslim school could have become one of the worst massacres in the city’s history. Instead, several Muslim staff members and a security guard placed themselves between the attackers and dozens of children inside the school building. Who were they?
Among those killed was Amin Abdullah, a mosque security guard remembered by worshippers as a friendly and dedicated Muslim.
Alongside him were two other Muslims, Nadir Awad and Mansoor Kazziha.
All three are now being credited with helping prevent what could have been a far greater loss of life.
Eyewitness accounts and community testimonies say they acted in the critical early moments of the attack as two armed assailants attempted to force entry into areas where children were sheltering.
Amin Abdullah
Amin Abdullah’s life story, shared in a recorded interview prior to his death, reflects a long personal journey from Christianity to Islam.
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Born and raised as a Christian, he described struggling for years with theological questions, particularly around the concept of the Trinity.
“I really didn’t understand the concept of the Trinity,” he said, explaining that he kept his doubts to himself as a child and young adult.
His path changed after meeting a Muslim colleague at work. Abdullah said their conversations introduced him to the Islamic belief in strict monotheism.
“The concept of Islam believing that there’s only one God… I was like, wow, this makes so much sense,” he said.
He later took his shahada, describing Islam as something that brought clarity and direction to his life.
In the same interview, he reflected on how his conversion affected his home life, saying his mother noticed a change in him as he became more responsible and more engaged with family life.
Over time, he said, parts of his family also embraced Islam.
Abdullah often spoke about faith in direct terms. “No matter what you’ve done, come back to your creator before it’s too late,” he said, framing life as a test of accountability and intention.
In later reflections, he also described a desire to serve his community in a practical way.
Following previous mass-casualty attacks on places of worship, including Christchurch in 2019, he had expressed interest in helping with mosque security, seeing it as a responsibility to protect vulnerable worshippers.
In another part of the interview, reflecting on purpose and what remains after death, he said: “If I were offered the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I would never give up Islam.”
Nadir Awad and Mansoor Kazziha
Alongside Abdullah were Nadir Awad and Mansoor Kazziha, a regular mosque attendee and an shop keeper/caretaker within the Islamic centre.
According to accounts from the scene, these individuals moved quickly to draw the shooter away from the classrooms that were being barricaded as the attackers attempted to push deeper into the building.
Their actions helped prevent the gunmen from reaching areas where children were hiding.
They were killed during the incident while trying to hold back the attackers, an act community members say gave others inside the school the time needed to lock down and escape.
Authorities have described the incident as a targeted attack involving two armed individuals motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
For the local Muslim community, attention has centred on the three men who lost their lives.
They are being remembered not only for how they died, but for the decisions they made in the moments that mattered most.
May Allah have mercy on their souls and grant patience to the berieved family and community.
