Jewish dentist shot to death in attack planned by 'disgruntled patient' in San Diego

San Diego police are investigating the killing of a Jewish dentist who was shot to death in a San Diego attack that was allegedly planned by ‘disgruntled patient.’

Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29, allegedly burst into the dental office dressed in black and opened fire, shooting two adult men and an adult woman.

The incident took place around 4:00 p.m. in the 400 block of North Magnolia Avenue in the city of El Cajon, where Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29, allegedly walked into Smile Plus Dentistry & Orthodontics dressed all in black and opened fire, hitting two adult men and an adult woman.

The gunman got into a U-Haul truck with Arizona plates and fled the scene, the El Cajon Police Department said.

The rescue team arrived a few minutes after the shooting. One of the men died at the scene and the rest were rushed to hospital in serious but stable condition.

Although police did not name the victims, Yeshiva World News, an Orthodox Jewish online news newspaper, identified the deceased as Dr. Benjamin Harouni, a Jewish dentist who worked in the dental office owned by his father.

The shocking shooting sparked a search for Abdulkareem, whom police described as “armed and dangerous” in an active shooter alert.

He was taken into custody about five hours after the shooting, when a good Samaritan reported an abandoned rental truck in San Diego, just 20 miles from the dental office.

Police say the shooting was planned weeks in advance after finding Abdulkareem with a loaded gun and several magazines.

"Although the exact motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, it is believed that Abdulkareem was a former disgruntled patient," the El Cajon Police Department said in a statement.

The suspect was booked into a San Diego jail charged with felonies, including one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He is being held without bail.

An investigation remains ongoing.