San Diego Mosque Shooters Identified As FBI, Police Provide Updates
Authorities have identified the two teenage suspects accused of carrying out Monday’s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, an attack that left three people dead and forced the evacuation of students and staff from a school connected to the mosque.
Officials identified the suspects as Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez. The shooting unfolded at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont Mesa East neighborhood. The center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and also operates a school that was in session at the time of the attack.
According to a spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department, three people were killed near the entrance of the center. One of the victims was described as a security guard.
Authorities said the two suspects, identified by the FBI as 17 and 18 years old, were later found dead inside a vehicle near the scene. Officials said no officers fired their weapons during the incident, and the threat was considered neutralized by approximately 1:07 p.m.
The names of the victims have not yet been released as officials work to notify family members. Law enforcement praised the security guard who was killed, saying he intervened during the attack and “no doubt saved lives.”
All students and staff members at the 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. Authorities also said they recovered writings connected to the suspects, though officials did not release full details as the investigation continues.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the mother of one suspect contacted police after becoming concerned about her son’s state of mind and alleged access to firearms.
“With this information, she believed her son was suicidal,” 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 provided those details to investigators throughout the morning.
Authorities said they had not found evidence that specific threats had been made against the Islamic Center of San Diego before the attack. Officials also said the center was reportedly not named in the recovered writings.
According to The New York Times, investigators found 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.
Investigators are continuing to review the writings, weapons, timeline, and other evidence as they work to determine the motive and broader circumstances surrounding the shooting. The San Diego Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies are involved in the case and have urged anyone with information about the suspects or their motives to contact authorities.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, both expressed condolences after the attack. Officials also said security had been increased around other houses of worship in the region.
The New York Police Department announced that it would also step up patrols around religious centers across New York 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 added police presence comes just weeks after unrest outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, where anti-Israel demonstrators clashed with NYPD officers near barricades surrounding the synagogue.
Following those incidents, city officials and Jewish community leaders called for stronger protections around houses of worship as concerns grow over religiously motivated violence, intimidation, and the ability of Americans to worship freely without fear.
For many conservatives, the San Diego attack is another reminder that public safety, religious liberty, and law enforcement readiness cannot be treated as political afterthoughts. Houses of worship should never become soft targets, and communities of faith deserve security without apology.