Security guard killed in mosque shooting in San Diego hailed as a hero

SAN DIEGO (NBC, KYMA) - During Monday's shooting at a mosque in San Diego, three people were killed, including a security guard who's now being hailed as a hero.

Amin Abdullah was in the lobby when the gunmen arrived and swung into action, and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl says he saved lives in the process.

NBC affiliate KNSD found several posts on Facebook praising Abdullah's actions and his commitment to the people who came to the mosque to learn, pray and be a family.

One post says he warned teachers to lock the doors to the classrooms, saving lives, and while the police haven't confirmed it, those who knew him don't doubt it.

"The amount of hospitality and the heartwarmingness of him, he said 'Akim.' Akim is brother in Arabic. He called everybody a brother. He was soft-spoken. I was actually amazed at how fluent he spoke Arabic," said Jesus Ejelat, Abdullah's friend.

Ejelat says Abdullah was the first person he met when he joined the mosque a month ago, and called his friend a hero, something Chief Wahl repeated during a press conference Monday afternoon.

"We do believe the security guard was able to help, at least minimize the situation to the front area of the mosque. Until we know more, I don't want to speculate, but at this point, I think its fair to say his actions were heroic and undoubtedly, he saved lives today," Wahl expressed.