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San Diego mosque where mass shooting left 3 dead has controversial history — including ties to 9/11 hijackers

Nypost · 🇮🇱 public Israel · · 441 words · By Doree Lewak
Terrorism and Extremism Community Tension Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
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What to know about Terrorism and Extremism

San Diego mosque where mass shooting left 3 dead has controversial history — including ties to 9/11 hijackers See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 4
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center86%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

San Diego mosque where mass shooting left 3 dead has controversial history — including ties to 9/11 hijackers See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleThe San Diego mosque that was targeted in a horrific mass shooting Monday made headlines for being “best known as the home to two 9/11 hijackers,” while its current imam has justified the Oct.

Common ground

Three people, including a security guard, were killed when a pair of gunmen opened fire on the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Guilt by Association: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/us-news/san-diego-mosque-where-mass-shooting-left-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 95% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Guilt by Association 85% confidence
Discrediting an idea by linking it to a disliked group or person.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing guilt by association helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Selective Omission 70% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “Three people, including a security guard, were killed when a pair of gunmen opened fire on the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including CNN and a Wikipedia entry for the 2026 event, confirm that three people (including a security guard) were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) is a public polytechnic research university in Pomona, California, United States. It is the largest of the three polytechnic universit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Polytechnic_U…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — California State University, Long Beach (Cal State Long Beach or CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public research university in Long Beach, California, Unite…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_L…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The aircraft hijackers in the September 11 attacks were 19 men affiliated with al-Qaeda, a jihadist organization based in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They hailed from four countries: 15 of the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijackers_in_the_September_11_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “His wife, Lallia Allali, allegedly posted graphic images of a “Jewish star murdering babies with ‘the devil is killing’” scrawl in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks, according to watchdog group StopAntisemitism.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Canary Mission reports that Lallia Allali spread anti-Semitism online after October 7, 2023. However, the specific detail about the 'Jewish star murdering babies' image is not explicitly quoted in the evidence snippets, though the general allegation of anti-Semitic posts is present.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The October 7 attacks were a series of coordinated armed incursions from the blockaded Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, carried out by Hamas and several other Palestinian militant…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_7_attacks
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lallia Allali spread anti-Semitism online after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1200 Israelis. Allali was repo.
https://canarymission.org/individual/Lallia_Allali
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — On October 7th, the Supernova Music Festival near Kibbutz Re'im in the Gaza envelope, turned into a bloodbath following Hamas' attack. As the sun rose, terrorists descended on motorized paragliders an…
https://www.hamas-massacre.net/
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Claim 3: “Selma Hassane has “promoted incitement, spread hatred of Israel, engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement,” according to watchdog group, Canary Mission.”
CORROBORATED
Both Canary Mission and another report regarding UC San Diego identify Selma Hassane as a supporter of the BDS movement and an anti-Israel activist.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The list does not include people who support boycotting products from Israeli settlements but not from Israel. The year column denotes the year they most recently professed support for such a boycott.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supporters_of_the_BDS_…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Selma Hassane has promoted incitement, spread hatred of Israel, engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
https://canarymission.org/individual/Selma_Hassane
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Promoted anti-Zionist activities on campus. Selma Hassane – Development Associate. Promoted the illegal encampment at UCSD led by her father, Imam Hassane. Supported BDS. Activist with the San Diego c…
https://drrichswier.com/2024/08/08/new-report-uc-san-diego-a…
verified
Claim 4: “Both hijackers reportedly prayed at the mosque and found an apartment nearby through advertisements at the mosque while taking flight lessons in the city.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this specific claim consists of irrelevant search results about IELTS training in Fuzhou, China, and general 9/11 Wikipedia entries. No evidence was provided that confirms the specific details about praying at the mosque or using advertisements for housing.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The aircraft hijackers in the September 11 attacks were 19 men affiliated with al-Qaeda, a jihadist organization based in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They hailed from four countries: 15 of the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijackers_in_the_September_11_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (13 February 1913 – 13 June 1982) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 25 March 1975 until his death in 1982. Before his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saud…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_of_Saudi_Arabia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the United States on September 11, 2001 (9/11), 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes in an attempt to crash them into American landmarks. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_of_the_September_11_a…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 5: “The group accused Allali of leading the Palestinian Youth Movement, “an entity tied to the anti Israel protests occurring all over the U.S. these past few weeks.””
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided mentions Lallia Allali's anti-Semitism but does not contain the specific claim that she leads the 'Palestinian Youth Movement'. The other results are about Fatah and Ilhan Omar.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lallia Allali spread anti-Semitism online after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1200 Israelis. Allali was repo.
https://canarymission.org/individual/Lallia_Allali
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Fatah movement and the Palestinian Authority have aged, and their leaders appear like oligarchs from a fading Soviet film in the 1980s. “This year is the year of democracy. We held an important co…
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-896439
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Is Omar, as StopAntisemitism claims, “2019’s most notorious anti-Semite,” and a “vile Jew hater”? These are strong words indeed – and worth a closer look. If StopAntisemitism is a sincere arbiter of p…
https://israelpalestinenews.org/ilhan-omar-anti-semite-year-…
info
Claim 6: “The suspected shooters were later found dead by suicide in a BMW.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While Wikipedia and other sources confirm the shooters were killed, the specific detail about them dying by suicide 'in a BMW' is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, although the deaths of the shooters are confirmed.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On May 18, 2026, a mass shooting occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD), the largest mosque in San Diego, California, United States. Five men were killed, including both shooters, two staf…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Islamic_Center_of_San_Die…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Khaleel Mohammed (1955 – January 2022) was a Guyanese-born professor of Religion at San Diego State University (SDSU), in San Diego, California, a member of Homeland Security Master's Program, and, as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleel_Mohammed
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — San Diego ( SAN dee-AY-goh; Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “the Islamic Center of San Diego made headlines for its connection to Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar.”
VERIFIED
The connection between the Islamic Center of San Diego and 9/11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar is mentioned in a web search result regarding grants and is a known historical point of contention.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On May 18, 2026, a mass shooting occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD), the largest mosque in San Diego, California, United States. Five men were killed, including both shooters, two staf…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Islamic_Center_of_San_Die…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Khaleel Mohammed (1955 – January 2022) was a Guyanese-born professor of Religion at San Diego State University (SDSU), in San Diego, California, a member of Homeland Security Master's Program, and, as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleel_Mohammed
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — San Diego ( SAN dee-AY-goh; Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “Imam Taha Hassane has come under fire for his comments on the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of Google Translate help pages and lists of Algerians, which are completely irrelevant to Imam Taha Hassane.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Notable Algerians include:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Algerians
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of prominent and notable political families. Monarchical dynasties are not included, unless certain descendants have played political roles in a republican structure (e.g. Arslan family…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_families
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Translate by speech If your device has a microphone, you can translate spoken words and phrases. In some languages, you can hear the translation spoken aloud. Important: If you use an audible screen r…
https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142468?hl=en&co…
+ 2 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.