According to police, the mother of one of the suspects called police about two hours before the shooting to report that her son, whom she described as someone with suicidal intentions, had fled the home, taking three guns she owned and her vehicle. According to the police chief, the mother said her son was with a mate and they were dressed in camouflage. Police launched a search and sent patrols to a nearby shopping centre and the son’s high school as a precaution when calls came in about the shooting at the mosque, Reuters reported.
Investigators are still working out the details of what may have triggered the violence, Wohl said.
Gun violence is regularly recorded in public places across the United States, at the same time that Muslim and Jewish communities have become particularly concerned amid escalation in the Middle East after U.S. and Israeli troops launched airstrikes against Iran on 28 February and Iran retaliated against Israel and the Gulf states.