'Our martyrs and our heroes': These are the stories of the San Diego shooting victims who stopped the gunmen

Gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and three men’s actions reduced the scale of the tragedy. Authorities said the men slowed the shooters, sent out warnings, and alerted police before they were killed, giving dozens of schoolchildren time to escape. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the victims did not die in vain and that many more fatalities would have occurred without their intervention. The imam Taha Hassane called them martyrs and heroes and said the community lost three pillars. Donations and fundraising efforts have supported their families, and the men were widely recognized at the mosque, including a security guard known for greeting visitors warmly, a storekeeper known for lentil soup, and the husband of a schoolteacher whose daughter described his response to gunfire.

"Authorities say that, before they were killed, they slowed the shooters, sent out a warning and alerted police, allowing dozens of schoolchildren inside the mosque to scramble for safety. They're now hailed as heroes: a security guard with a winning smile, a storekeeper known for his lentil soup and the husband of a schoolteacher whose proud daughter said that when he heard gunfire, he ran toward it."

""I want to be very clear: All three of our victims did not die in vain," said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. "Without question, there would have been many more fatalities yesterday." All three were deeply familiar faces at the mosque, even for those who did not have personal relationships with them. Tens of thousands of dollars in donations have poured into a fundraiser set up for their families."

""We lost three pillars of our community," the imam, or leader of the mosque, Taha Hassane, said. "We call them our martyrs and our heroes." Here are their stories. Amin Abdullah, 51. Abdullah was known for his burly figure and his warm smile. The armed security guard at the San Diego mosque would greet every visitor without fail, responding "Salam wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuh" or "May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you too.""

"Abdullah was born in San Diego as Brian Climax but goes by his Muslim name. He converted to Islam in his late teens, during the 1990s, with several of his siblings and his mother following suit, his sister said. He is a"

Read at Los Angeles Times