Neighbor says suspect waved hours before San Diego mosque shooting: 'We know them fairly well'

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Neighbors of one of the teenage suspects in the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego said they were left stunned after learning the teenager they described as friendly and helpful was allegedly linked to the attack that killed three on Monday, May 18.

The shooting at San Diego County’s largest mosque is being investigated as a possible hate crime, according to Police Chief Scott Wahl. A security guard was among the victims killed before the two teenage suspects were later found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds a few blocks away.

Residents living near one suspect’s home said the news was difficult to process, with some recalling years of friendly interactions with the family.

Mosque shooting suspect ‘helped us bring in our groceries’

Marne Zelaya, who lives near one of the suspects’ homes, said her family had known the teenagers and their mother for nearly two decades.

“We know them fairly well, not real personally, but we're good neighbors,” Zelaya told Associated Press. “It's just absolutely unbelievable.”

Zelaya said the teenager had often helped her and her husband with groceries and remained polite over the years despite occasionally dressing differently as a child.

“He's helped us bring in our groceries. They all have. They got me a cake when I turned 80,” she said. “I just want to give her a hug. I mean, she's the mother for crying out loud.”

Her husband, Ted Zelaya, said the family had lived in the neighborhood “close to about 20 years.”

The couple also recalled seeing the suspect shortly before the shooting unfolded. “In fact, he just waved at you when? The day or yesterday?” Marne Zelaya asked her husband during the interview. “This morning,” Ted Zelaya responded.

Quiet neighborhood shaken

Another neighbor, Peter Nguyen, said the shooting had left residents frightened because the area had long been considered peaceful.

“It’s very, very frightening to hear that,” Nguyen said. “Especially knowing that it's this close to where I live.”

Nguyen described the neighborhood as “very quiet and chill,” adding that residents regularly walked dogs and interacted with neighbors without concern.

“This is just something out of the ordinary,” he said.

Authorities said the suspects allegedly killed three men inside the Islamic Center of San Diego before dying by suicide inside a nearby vehicle.

Witness recalls nearby gunfire

Resident Adrian Collen, who lives about five blocks south of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said he heard multiple gunshots around the same time police were responding to the mosque attack.

Collen told CNN he had just returned home when he heard five shots and saw a white vehicle speeding away with broken glass flying from the driver’s side window.

“The driver looked younger,” Collen said. “I thought it was just a kid.”

After stepping outside, Collen said he saw a landscaper near a neighboring home with injuries to his head and noticed damage to a tree and nearby property that appeared to be caused by bullets.

Police Chief Scott Wahl later confirmed officers received reports of another shooting a few blocks from the mosque while responding to the attack. A landscaper had been shot at but was not injured, according to police.

“We love this area,” Collen told the outlet. “It’s so many families. It’s incredibly disheartening that this could happen here.”

Investigation continues

Police said the mother of one suspect contacted authorities about two hours before the shooting after noticing her son, several weapons and her vehicle were missing. Investigators later learned the teenager had left with another suspect while dressed in camouflage clothing, escalating concerns among officers.

The suspects’ identities are being withheld because they are juveniles, despite police publicly identifying them.

Wahl said police are investigating the case as a hate crime “until it’s not,” citing evidence of hate-related rhetoric connected to the suspects. Federal authorities, including the FBI, are assisting San Diego police as the investigation continues.