Published May 19, 2026

Statement from Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, on the fatal shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, 2026:

The freedom to believe and to practice that belief requires, at its core, that people can enter a house of worship and other sacred spaces without fear for their lives. That freedom was again violated by the terrifying and tragic shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. 

No person should face violence for gathering in worship. No community should have to wonder whether it is safe to pray. This attack did not occur in a vacuum, but in the context of a society besieged by increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering.   

BJC stands with the Muslim community in San Diego and across America. We grieve with all those affected by this attack. We call on all public officials and community leaders to cease denigrating our Muslim neighbors. And we affirm, without reservation, that an attack on any religious community is an attack on the religious freedom we are all called to ensure.