Teen Suspects Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez Kill Three in San Diego Mosque Shooting

A shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont area killed three people, and police said two teenage suspects, aged 17 and 18, were also dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the attack occurred shortly before midday prayer, and he described it as “This is every community’s worst nightmare.”

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Wahl said the mother of one suspect called police about two hours before the deadly shooting, informing them her son was missing as well as several of her weapons and her vehicle, and officers later found three people shot dead at the Islamic Center.

The BBC reported that authorities responded to an active shooter call at 11:43 local time on Monday, and officers arrived four minutes later to find three men dead outside the mosque.

The BBC also said the suspects were found dead of apparent self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle blocks away from the mosque, after a call about shots fired nearby from a vehicle at a landscaper.

Investigators said the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime, and Wahl said there was no specific threat made against the Islamic Center but investigators recovered evidence the attackers engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric”.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Todd Gloria said, “The threat currently has been addressed, children are safe and that is a good thing.”

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The BBC reported that the two teenage suspects shared a “broad hatred” of multiple religions and racial groups, and that authorities had not disclosed a motive for the attack.

In a statement carried by the Guardian, Cair-San Diego’s executive director Tazheen Nizam said, “No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school.”

The Guardian also quoted imam and director of the center Taha Hassane saying, “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”

Authorities said the FBI was looking for information from the public and had set up a tip line, while the shooting was investigated as a hate crime and officials said a reunification center had been set up for families.

The Guardian reported that the FBI was investigating the shooting and that the bureau had set up a tip line, and it also quoted Scott Wahl saying the guard helped “minimize” the threats while details were still being confirmed.

NBC 7 San Diego & KUSI News said surveillance video revealed that the two gunmen exchanged gunfire with a security guard at the mosque, and it reported that the guard enacted lockdown protocols and sent out an alert to teachers and students before he was killed outside the Islamic Center.

USA Today said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl credited Amin Abdullah with delaying, distracting and ultimately deterring the suspects from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque where “as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects.”

CNN said investigators seized more than 30 guns, including numerous pistols, rifles and shotguns, as well as a crossbow, while executing three search warrants at residences associated with the shooters.