Teen Gunmen Kill 3 at San Diego Mosque

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18, killing three men before both suspects were found dead in a vehicle a few blocks away, authorities said. San Diego police identified the attack as a hate crime and said the mosque’s security guard and two congregants were killed after the shooters entered the Clairemont campus, which also houses a school. FBI officials said the pair had met online, were radicalized there and left writings expressing hatred toward multiple groups. Investigators later found at least 30 guns, ammunition and a crossbow at two residences connected to the teens, raising questions about whether they had planned more violence. ### How did the attack unfold on May 18? San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said one suspect’s mother called police at about 9:40 a.m. Monday to report that her son was suicidal and had left home with her vehicle and weapons. Officers began searching for the teen, using license plate readers, checking a nearby mall and alerting Madison High School, where at least one suspect was a student, Wahl said. About two hours later, shots were reported at the Islamic Center of San Diego. (apnews.com) The Islamic Center of San Diego was then locked down as gunfire erupted, and a security guard was killed after helping trigger emergency procedures, according to police. Wahl said the two suspects, ages 17 and 18, were later found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle stopped on a nearby road. Police also said a landscaper a few blocks away was shot at but was not injured. (nbcsandiego.com) ### Who were the suspects? ABC News, citing law-enforcement sources, identified the two suspects as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18. Authorities have publicly described them as teenagers who knew each other through online interactions and later met in person after discovering they both lived in San Diego County. FBI officials said the pair bonded over extremist beliefs before the attack. (nbcsandiego.com) The FBI’s San Diego field office said the material recovered in the investigation showed hatred that extended beyond one community. Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego field office, said, “These subjects did not discriminate in who they hated,” according to CBS News. ### What evidence are investigators examining? (abcnews.com) FBI officials said the teens left writings expressing hate, and investigators are reviewing documents and online posts tied to the case. ABC News reported that authorities were examining a video apparently posted online by one suspect that appeared to show the attack and its aftermath, as well as a lengthy document circulating online that allegedly contained two essays promoting white nationalism and hatred toward immigrants, racial minorities and others. (cbsnews.com) Law-enforcement officials also said investigators found neo-Nazi symbols and other extremist imagery on weapons and items recovered after the shooting. ABC News reported that sources described SS bolts, a Sonnenrad symbol and other insignia visible in the material under review. ### Why are authorities focused on the weapons cache? (apnews.com) Mark Remily said investigators found at least 30 guns, ammunition and a crossbow at two residences linked to the suspects. He said agents were trying to determine whether the stockpile meant the teens had broader plans beyond the mosque attack. (abcnews.com) The Associated Press reported that the attack targeted the largest mosque in San Diego County. Police have not publicly said that any additional target was identified, but officials said the quantity of weapons recovered became a central part of the federal inquiry. ### Who were the victims and what happens next? (usnews.com) San Diego officials said the three men killed included a security guard and two community members who tried to protect others inside the mosque. NBC San Diego reported that Mayor Todd Gloria ordered flags at city facilities lowered to half-staff on Tuesday in honor of what he called “three heroic San Diegans.” (apnews.com) Tuesday’s next steps were laid out by San Diego police and the FBI, which said the hate-crime investigation remained active as agents reviewed online writings, physical evidence and the suspects’ movements before the shooting. Officials have said they are still working to determine whether the pair had plans beyond the May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego. (apnews.com) (nbcsandiego.com)