SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Police Department responded to a reported active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont neighborhood around noon local time. Officers were dispatched to the 7000 block of Eckstrom Avenue, where hundreds of officers and emergency vehicles assembled outside the center within minutes of the initial call.

"SDPD is on scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the 7000 block of Eckstrom Ave for a reported active shooter. Please avoid the area. Updates to follow," the department said in a statement. The department later said the scene at 7050 Eckstrom Avenue was active but contained.

Officer Anthony Carrasco said he believes people have been shot. Helicopter footage showed one person in a tactical vest lying dead outside the building. The number of shooters involved has not been determined.

Aerial television footage showed dozens of police cars surrounding the center and many streets closed. Officers evacuated an elementary school next to the Islamic Center and adults inside the center, and searched the surrounding neighborhood door to door for the shooter. A reunification location was established at 4125 Hathaway Street.

"I am aware of the active shooter situation at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont and am continuing to receive updates from law enforcement. Emergency personnel are on scene and actively working to protect the community and secure the area," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement issued during the response. Governor Gavin Newsom was being briefed on the situation, and a statement from his office said, "We are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities."

The Islamic Center of San Diego sits about 9 miles north of downtown in a heavily residential neighborhood and is the largest mosque in San Diego County. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran, and the center hosts five daily prayers. Nearby are three schools — the Islamic School of San Diego, the Clairemont Canyons Academy, and the Kavod Charter School — as well as a Seventh-Day Adventist church and California Children Services. The center's stated mission is to serve the Muslim population and work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, educate, and better the nation, and it works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes.