Gunfire struck a mosque in the desert city of Coachella before dawn Tuesday, authorities in Southern California said.
According to the Associated Press, a report of shots fired was received at 5:01 a.m., and responding officers determined that several shots struck the Islamic Society of the Coachella Valley building and a vehicle, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
According to reports, the building was occupied but no one inside was injured.
The Sheriff’s Department said the shooting was being investigated as a possible hate crime.
A regional office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement calling for an FBI investigation.
“Any time shots are fired at a house of worship, the FBI should offer its resources to local authorities to help determine whether or not there was a bias motive for the attack,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said.
Coachella is southeast of Palm Springs.
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