US House observes moment of silence for victims of San Diego Islamic center shooting

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday observed a moment of silence for victims of the recent shooting in the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs said she rose on the House floor "with a heavy heart" to honor the lives of Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad who were killed after two teenage gunmen opened fire at the mosque complex on Monday.

Jacobs said the Islamic center is a special place for the Clairemont community, a sanctuary for peace, comfort, and safety.

"And unfortunately, that was ripped away from our community by two people armed with guns and hate.

"This tragedy didn't happen in a vacuum. We let it happen by refusing to actually do something and stop the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate and hatred of all kinds. For decades, the Islamic Center has been the target of hate speech and vandalism and yelling by people driving by," she said.

Jacobs said the tragedy could have resulted in far greater loss of life were it not for individuals who intervened to protect others.

"They had the courage and bravery to stand up in the face of danger, to distract, delay, and even engage with the gunmen to save others."

Jacobs described the attack as not only an assault on the Muslim community but also on broader American values of religious freedom, diversity, and peaceful coexistence.

"We owe it to them to prevent the next hate crime, the next attack on our Muslim community," she said. "Because this is an attack on all of us — it's an attack on everyone's right to gather, worship, learn, and live in peace and safety."

The California Democrat said the violence represented "an attack on pluralism" and vowed that the broader community would stand united against hatred and intolerance.

"It's an attack on our entire community, and we won't tolerate it," Jacobs said.

Addressing Muslim Americans directly, Jacobs expressed solidarity and support while emphasizing the importance of compassion and unity in responding to violence.

"To our Muslim community, we are here for you," she said. "We mourn alongside you. We will honor the lives of these great men we lost by coming together and showing that our response to hate is love, it's compassion, it's understanding, it's community."

The attack is still under investigation.