Sons laud security guard dad in San Diego who saved children from mosque attackers

“But when I learned that his actions saved all ⁠the kids … ​I felt proud, and I ⁠felt comfort because I know that’s exactly how my dad would have wanted to go out - protecting people.” He and his brothers Jibreel and Khaled spoke to Reuters ⁠as they accepted condolences at their father's home, describing him as their best friend and a pillar of the community. Khaled, 24, said his family has drawn ​strength from the way he died.

The sons of a security guard killed while protecting children at the Islamic Center of San Diego remembered their father as a hero who died as he lived - ‌putting others first. Police say Amin Abdullah, 51, a security guard at the largest mosque in San Diego County, sacrificed his life to keep 140 children inside the mosque school safe by engaging two gunmen in a shootout and transmitting the radio call that activated a security lockdown. ‌Mosque elder Mansour Kaziha, 78, and Uber driver Nadir Awad, 57, a neighbor whose wife is a teacher at the mosque school, ‌were also shot and killed in what is being investigated as a hate crime. Funerals for the three are to be held on Thursday.

“When I learned about it … I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t feel real. I was just in shock,” Muhammad Amin Abdullah, 28, said on Wednesday. “But when I learned that his actions saved all ⁠the kids … ​I felt proud, and I ⁠felt comfort because I know that’s exactly how my dad would have wanted to go out - protecting people.” He and his brothers Jibreel and Khaled spoke to Reuters ⁠as they accepted condolences at their father's home, describing him as their best friend and a pillar of the community.

Khaled, 24, said his family has drawn ​strength from the way he died. “The fact that he was on the front line, trying to defend kids and innocent people, ⁠that makes me feel good,” Khaled said. “Calling him a hero is the least we can do.”

Jibreel, 21, described his father as “the kindest person you’d meet.” “Ask anyone … they’d ⁠have ​nothing but good things to say about my dad,” he said. “Best dad you could ask for.”

The family urged others to honor their father by living with compassion and a sense of service. “Live your life serving others … and just be kind to everybody,” Muhammad ⁠said. “The world would definitely be a better place if people lived like that.”

Their sister, Hawaa, made a similar plea on Tuesday. She told ⁠reporters their father "stood against any ⁠form of hate." Police and FBI have said that they are investigating the attack as a hate crime but have not offered details about the possible motive of the attackers, who took their own lives shortly ‌after the shooting.