San Diego mosque shooting: Suspect’s mother reveals her teen son was ‘suicidal’, stole firearms from home

The investigation into the deadly shooting outside the Islamic Centre of San Diego has uncovered alarming new details, with authorities revealing that the mother of one of the teenage suspects had warned police hours earlier that her son was suicidal and that firearms were missing from the family home. According to San Diego Police Department Assistant Chief Scott Wahl, one of the suspects was a student at Madison High School, located about 1.1 miles north of the mosque.

“He was associated with the school as a student,” Wahl said during a press briefing. Authorities identified the suspects as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez. Police said the pair shot and killed three men at the mosque on Monday before apparently turning the guns on themselves a few blocks away.

Wahl said the mother of one of the teenagers contacted police shortly before the shooting, reporting that her son had run away from home and may have taken firearms with him. She also warned dispatchers that he was suicidal. According to police, the woman handed over a suicide note she had found, though authorities did not disclose its contents.

Wahl said the mother also reported that several weapons and her vehicle were missing from the home. She further informed officers that her son was travelling with another person and that both teenagers were “dressed in camo”.

Police then began using licence plate reader technology and other investigative tools to track the vehicle. Officers were dispatched to locations, including a shopping mall and Madison High School, as part of the search effort. At around 11:43 am local time, officers were with the suspect’s mother only a few streets away from the mosque when reports emerged of an active shooter at the Islamic Centre of San Diego.

Shooting being investigated as possible hate crime

The two teenagers were later found dead inside the vehicle from what police described as apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The bodies of the three victims were discovered at the mosque. Wahl said investigators had uncovered evidence of “generalised hate rhetoric” linked to the case and that authorities were examining the shooting as a possible hate crime.