Two teenagers who killed three people in a shooting at a Southern California mosque were radicalized online, where authorities say they first met and bonded over white supremacist ideology.
Investigators say the pair left behind writings packed with hate aimed at multiple groups, underscoring what federal officials described as a broad, indiscriminate rage rather than a single-issue grievance.
The pair “didn’t discriminate on who they hated,” Mark Remily, the lead FBI agent in San Diego, said Tuesday.
The writings, obtained by The Associated Press, include hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, Black people, women, and both the political left and right. Both express beliefs that white people are being eliminated, and one writes about mental health struggles and being rejected by women.
Authorities said the shooters, Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, died by suicide after the attack.
New details have been released after a Southern California mosque shooting.https://t.co/UHtyLedJZl pic.twitter.com/1xMtZWK1q3
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Investigators also found at least 30 guns, ammunition and a crossbow at two residences after Monday’s attack in San Diego and were trying to uncover whether the shooters had broader plans, Remily said. The shooters, Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, killed themselves, according to police.
Family of the two teens could not immediately be reached for comment.
Officials said the gunfire erupted at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where authorities credited victims, including security guard Amin Abdullah, with confronting the attackers and slowing them down.
Authorities praised the three men they killed — including Amin Abdullah, a beloved security guard — for slowing the attackers at the Islamic Center of San Diego and preventing them from reaching 140 schoolchildren just steps away.
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