'I saw bad stuff', says 9-year-old who huddled in closet during San Diego mosque attack

Police said two teenagers opened fire at a San Diego mosque on Monday and killed three men before killing themselves

Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Nine-year-old Odai Shanah, whose mother ​emigrated from war-torn Gaza and settled in Southern California two decades ago, was among dozens of children ‌forced to huddle in classrooms on Monday when deadly gunfire erupted at the mosque where they attend school.

In an interview hours after the late-morning shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Odai recalled hearing a barrage of gunshots coming from outside the walls of ​the complex, which also houses an Islamic day school.