Mohammed Abdulkareem: Disgruntled patient leaves dentist dead, 2 injured after opening fire inside clinic
SAN DEIGO, CALIFORNIA: A tragic incident unfolded near San Diego when a disgruntled individual, identified as Mohammed Abdulkareem, opened fire inside a dental office.
According to NBC News, Abdulkareem, who was a former patient at the facility, expressed his discontent with the service by opening fire inside the clinic. He had legally acquired firearms just two weeks before the incident.
The shooting occurred at 4:14 pm on Thursday at 480 N Magnolia Ave in El Cajon. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, they discovered three victims who had sustained gunshot wounds. One of them, dentist Benjamin Ariel Harouni, was pronounced dead.
What did police report?
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Benjamin Ariel Harouni, a licensed dentist aged 28, was shot and killed at the scene. The alleged shooter, Mohammed Abdulkareem, a 29-year-old resident of El Cajon, fled in a rented U-Haul pickup truck but was later captured by authorities.
Investigations revealed that Abdulkareem was a former patient of the dental office. The exact reason for the shooting is still being investigated, but police believe that Abdulkareem was unhappy with the dental services.
They reported, “While the exact motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, it is believed that Abdulkareem was a disgruntled former customer." El Cajon police stated on Friday that the attack did not appear to be motivated by race or politics.
Witnesses helped police locate the U-Haul rental agency and describe the getaway vehicle, which was found empty about 15 miles southwest of the crime scene in San Diego. Notably, Police stated that the suspect was carrying a loaded handgun and multiple loaded handgun magazines.
Records revealed that he legally obtained the weapon just two weeks prior. Soon, Abdulkareem was arrested shortly afterward without any trouble.
Abdulkareem remained in custody, facing charges of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. His arraignment was set for Tuesday, but it's unclear if he has legal representation.
What did brothers of victim and suspect claim about their respective siblings?
The Chabad of Downtown San Diego remembered Harouni as a compassionate and promising young man. His family had moved from Sacramento to San Diego and had established dental practices. Harouni had recently joined the family business.
Anwer Abdulkareem, the suspect's brother, expressed concerns about his behavior, stating that the family couldn't persuade him to seek help despite exhibiting signs of fear and paranoia.
He claimed his brother believed in threats that weren't real, seeing things that didn't exist.
“He had fear, he had paranoia. He was thinking everyone was after him, there’s a gang, there’s a cartel. He was seeing stuff that was not happening.”
