{"id":1277,"date":"2026-05-23T21:02:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T04:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/shot-after-san-diego-mosque-attack-landscaper-says-hes-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T21:02:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T04:02:27","slug":"shot-after-san-diego-mosque-attack-landscaper-says-hes-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/shot-after-san-diego-mosque-attack-landscaper-says-hes-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Shot after San Diego mosque attack, landscaper says he\u2019s the \u2018luckiest guy on the planet\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A landscaper, who police say a pair of teen shooters fired at near the Islamic Center of San Diego following Monday\u2019s attack that left three dead, issued a statement through his attorney Saturday, saying he considers himself to be \u201cthe luckiest guy on the planet\u201d to survive the rampage.<\/p>\n

Read more Driver arrested after suspected fatal hit-and-run crash in Southcrest<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf not for my helmet, I would probably not be alive today,\u201d 52-year-old Tafu Letuli said in a statement from his lawyer Jerry Suppa.<\/p>\n

Police said Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17, arrived at the Islamic Center of San Diego about 11:43 a.m. Monday, armed and wearing camouflage. They killed a security guard during a gunbattle, then cornered and killed two congregants before fleeing. They shot at a Letuli a few blocks away on Salerno Street, then drove a few more blocks before stopping in the middle of the road and killing themselves, according to police.<\/p>\n

The attorney\u2019s statement said Letuli was fired upon \u201cfive or six times\u201d and struck once, in the center of his fiberglass helmet, which shattered, and left him bleeding from his forehead.<\/p>\n

Letuli was treated at the scene and later treated and examined at an emergency room near his home.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I think about what happened, a strange feeling triggers a flood of emotions,\u201d Letuli said. \u201cI feel fortunate and sad, all at the same time. I keep asking myself, \u2018why me, why me, I\u2019m just a tree trimmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement went on to say that Letuli\u2019s heart goes out to the victims and their families.<\/p>\n

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Bullying, rejection, concerning behavior cited in documents linked to mosque shooting suspects<\/p>\n

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