SAN DIEGO — Tafu Letuli, a 52-year-old landscaper, was shot at five or six times near the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18 while working on a residential street a few blocks from the mosque. The gunfire came during a mass shooting carried out by Cain Lee Clark, 17, and Caleb Vasquez, 18, who killed three people at the Islamic Center before taking their own lives.

One bullet struck the center of the helmet Letuli was wearing, shattering the fiberglass and sending fragments into his head. He was bleeding from his forehead, with blood running from just above his hairline down to his chin. Letuli received treatment at the scene and was later examined at a hospital emergency room near his home.

"If not for my helmet, I would probably not be alive today," Letuli said. "Every time I think about what happened, a strange feeling triggers a flood of emotions. I feel fortunate and sad, all at the same time. I keep asking myself ‘why me, I’m just a tree trimmer?’"

The bodies of Clark and Vasquez were found on a street near where Letuli was shot. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime. Officials believe the two shooters met online and appeared to have been radicalized. Investigators are working to authenticate a 75-page document posted online containing extremist material espousing anti-Islamic, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ views, with sections believed to have been written by Clark and Vasquez.

Among those killed were Amin Abdullah, 51, a security guard who helped limit loss of life; Mansour Kazih, 78, a founding member and caretaker of the mosque; and Nadir Awad, 57, who lived across the street from the Islamic Center. The mosque said it is continuing to work with law enforcement and has hired security professionals to evaluate additional safety measures.

Because Letuli and his family were overwhelmed, his attorney Jerry Suppa issued a statement on his behalf. Suppa said the FBI’s victim health specialist in Sorrento Valley and other mental health professionals have been helpful in reaching out to Letuli. He added that after things settle down, Letuli will be in better shape to share his experience with others.