San Diego mosque shooting: Everything we know about teen suspects

A deadly shooting at the Islamic Centre of San Diego in southern California on Monday (May 18) morning has left three people dead, with authorities now investigating the incident as a hate crime. The attack unfolded shortly before midday prayers when two teenage gunmen allegedly opened fire inside the mosque complex before later turning their weapons on themselves, according to police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the probe as investigators examine anti-Islamic material reportedly linked to the suspects. Calling the incident “every community’s worst nightmare”, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said authorities were still piecing together the sequence of events and motives behind the attack.

US President Donald Trump also reacted to the shooting, describing it as a “terrible situation”. He added, “I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.”

How the shooting unfolded

Police said the first emergency call came in at around 11.43 am local time, just before worshippers gathered for midday prayers at the mosque. Officers arriving at the Islamic Centre found three victims who had been fatally shot. At nearly the same time, dispatchers received another report about gunfire coming from a vehicle located roughly two blocks away from the mosque. When officers reached the second scene, they discovered the two suspects dead from what authorities described as self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Who were the teen suspects?

Authorities have officially confirmed that the suspects were aged 17 and 18, though their identities have not yet been formally released. Several American media outlets, however, identified them as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18. Investigators revealed that hours before the attack, police had received a call from the mother of one of the teenagers reporting that her son had gone missing along with her car and firearms.

According to police, the woman also warned that her son was suicidal and likely travelling with a friend. She reportedly told officers that both young men were dressed in military-style fatigues. Investigators later found both suspects dead inside or near the vehicle linked to the earlier report. Police also confirmed that one of the teenagers had ties to Madison High School, located about a mile from the mosque.

The FBI joined the investigation after officers reportedly discovered anti-Islamic writings inside the suspects’ vehicle. According to NBC News, one of the teenagers allegedly left behind a suicide note containing references to racial pride. At the same time, hate speech was also reportedly found scrawled on one of the weapons used in the shooting.

The discovery of the writings prompted federal authorities to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime. However, Chief Wahl cautioned that the material recovered so far did not contain any direct threat specifically targeting the mosque.

“There was no specific threat, especially no specific threat to the Islamic Center. It was just general hate kind of speech that I think covered a wide gamut,” Wahl told reporters. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as federal and local agencies continue examining evidence connected to the shooting.