Children playing in a prayer area at the Islamic Community Center of Hillsboro Saturday, March 21 discovered a bullet that had struck the mosque earlier that morning, the center said. No one was injured in the incident.

Leaders at the Washington County mosque pointed out that the incident occurred amid a rise in Islamophobic incidents, according to a recent report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The ICCH said the Hillsboro Police Department is investigating the incident as a potential bias crime and that Gov. Tina Kotek and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield were “aware and engaged” in the incident response.

Hillsboro police public information officer Zoe Anderson said Tuesday afternoon that the department was “gathering details” and would share information publicly soon. She did not respond to specific questions about the incident.

In a press release, ICCH points out that the shooting happened just one day after Eid al-Fitr, a celebration at the end of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan.

“For the entire preceding month, ICCH had been a vibrant hub of daily prayers, community iftars, Ramadan nightly prayers, and family gatherings, drawing hundreds of congregants of all ages,” the press release states. “The mosque was quieter on the day of the shooting only because families were celebrating Eid at parks and community gatherings.”

The ICCH said that typically, the area of the building struck by the bullet would be busy with children attending Saturday religious classes. The center’s statement said the timing so close to the holiday “underscores its deeply disturbing nature.”

ICCH President Ahmad Al Mohammad told OPB one of the mosque’s outside cameras captured the sound of a gunshot around 11:22 a.m., and a camera inside the building captured the bullet as it penetrated an interior wall. He said the direction the bullet came from was not clear in the video, which was shared with police.

It wasn’t until children later discovered the bullet and brought it to adults that Hillsboro police were contacted and began investigating. ICCH said it appreciates the “swift and serious response from local authorities.”

Mohammad pointed out that the bullet struck the heart of not only the mosque but the community itself.

“The area where the bullet struck is the very space that serves as the heart of our community life, from children’s Saturday school and daily prayers to youth programs and communal gatherings,” he said in the press release. “We are profoundly grateful to God that no one was hurt, but the psychological impact on our congregation is immense.”

In its own press release, the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Islamic-American Relations called Wednesday for federal law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a bias crime.

“Given the timing of the attack during Eid and the ongoing rise in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide, it is imperative that law enforcement authorities thoroughly investigate whether bias was a motivating factor,” CAIR said, while pointing to a string of other recent anti-Islam incidents across the country.

CAIR’s 2026 Civil Rights Report counted a record 8,683 complaints of Anti-Muslim bias in 2025. The organization did not respond to OPB’s questions on whether such incidents have become even more frequent since the U.S. began its war with Iran last month.

According to Mohammad, no security incidents of this degree have happened at the center in Hillsboro before, but last summer the mosque had its windows broken with a ball bearing and a slingshot.

“Our community has been here for years, serving Hillsboro, raising families and worshipping peacefully,” Mohammad said. “Whatever the political climate may be, no community should have to fear for their safety in their own house of worship. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”

The mosque also noted, “enhanced security measures are being evaluated and implemented to ensure the continued safety of our congregation.”

Rayfield’s office did not immediately respond to OPB’s requests for comment.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/24/hillsboro-oregon-mosque-gun-shot-crime-eid/