Authorities identified the two teenage suspects in Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, adding that both of them later died from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds after the attack, reports noted.
Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez were identified as the attackers. The shooting took place at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont Mesa East area. The center, which is the largest mosque in San Diego County, also operates a school that was in session during the attack.
According to a spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department, three people were fatally shot near the entrance to the center, including one individual described as a security guard.
The two suspects, identified by the FBI as being 17 and 18 years old, were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle located not far from the scene.
Authorities said the names of the victims have not yet been released pending notification of family members. Officials also stated that the security guard who was killed intervened during the attack and “no doubt saved lives.”
Law enforcement said no officers fired their weapons during the incident, and the threat was considered neutralized by approximately 1:07 p.m.
All students and staff members at the adjacent school connected to the Islamic Center of San Diego were reported safe and were successfully evacuated.
Investigators said one of the suspects allegedly took a firearm from his parents’ home before the shooting and left behind a suicide note.
Authorities did not release additional details about the contents of the note and also declined to disclose the locations where search warrants were being carried out as the investigation continued.
The mother of one of the suspects told police her son had been suicidal and allegedly stole multiple firearms from her vehicle before the attack.
“With this information, she believed her son was suicidal,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during an evening news conference.
He added that the situation escalated as the mother “began to piece together bits and pieces of information” and relayed them to investigators throughout the morning.
Authorities also said investigators found no evidence that specific threats had been made against the Islamic Center of San Diego beforehand, and the center was reportedly not mentioned in the suicide note recovered after the shooting.
According to reporting by The New York Times, investigators discovered anti-Islamic writings inside the suspects’ vehicle. Officials also said the phrase “hate speech” had been written on one of the firearms used in the attack.
Authorities are continuing to review the writings and other evidence to determine the motive and broader circumstances surrounding the shooting. The investigation involves the San Diego Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and additional law enforcement agencies, which are urging anyone with information about the suspects or their motives to contact investigators.
Officials including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) expressed condolences following the attack and said security had been increased at other houses of worship across the region.
Meanwhile, the New York Police Department announced it would be increasing patrols around religious centers throughout the city following the San Diego shooting.
“The NYPD is closely monitoring reports of an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego,” the department wrote on X. “While there is currently no known nexus to NYC or specific threats to NYC houses of worship, out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD is increasing deployments to mosques across the city.”
The heightened police presence follows unrest just weeks earlier outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, where anti-Israel demonstrators clashed with officers from the New York City Police Department near barricades surrounding the synagogue.
In the aftermath of those incidents, city officials and Jewish community leaders called for expanded security measures around houses of worship amid rising concerns over religiously motivated violence and intimidation.
