Teenage Gunmen Kill 3 at San Diego Mosque in Apparent Hate Attack Before Dying by Suicide
- Rex Ballard
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
SAN DIEGO — Two teenagers radicalized online carried out a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, 2026, killing three people before taking their own lives in a nearby vehicle. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime.
The shooters were identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez (sometimes spelled Vasquez). They opened fire at the mosque complex, the largest in San Diego County, which also houses a school.
The Attack
The pair arrived armed with rifles and handguns, some reportedly taken from a parent's home. They exchanged gunfire with a security guard and moved through the facility. Three men were killed:
Amin Abdullah, a mosque security guard, was hailed as a hero for his actions that likely prevented further deaths.
Mansour Kaziha, a longtime community elder and staff member.
Nadir Awad, a worshiper.
A landscaper nearby was shot at but escaped injury. Quick response by victims and staff kept all children at the on-site school safe — around 140 were present. The gunmen were stopped before reaching the school area.
The suspects were found dead a short distance away in a white BMW from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. A red gas can and additional writings were reportedly inside the vehicle.
Video Footage and Livestream The attackers reportedly livestreamed portions of the assault, showing them entering the mosque, firing weapons, and moving inside. Clips reviewed by media outlets match the location and include disturbing scenes. A separate dashcam video captured them firing at the landscaper on Salerno Street.
NBC News report on the incident: youtube.com
The Shooters
Cain Clark, 17, from the Clairemont area, had attended James Madison High School (wrestling team) before switching to virtual classes. He was set to graduate soon. His mother reportedly called police earlier that day, concerned he was missing and suicidal, with guns and a car taken from the home.
Caleb Vazquez, 18, from the Chula Vista area, had prior law enforcement contact in 2025 over concerns about extremist interests.
The two met and radicalized each other online. They scouted targets using maps and in-person visits.
Manifesto and Ideology
A ~75-page document (often called a manifesto), with sections by each shooter, was recovered and posted online. It expresses broad hatred — anti-Muslim (calls to "exterminate" Muslims), antisemitic, anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ+, misogynistic, and more. It blends neo-Nazi/white supremacist themes, accelerationism, the "Great Replacement" theory, and incel grievances.
References to Brenton Tarrant (Christchurch mosque attacker) — they called themselves "Sons of Tarrant."
Praise for Adolf Hitler (in Vazquez's sections) and other mass shooters.
Nazi symbols (e.g., Black Sun/Sonnenrad) on clothing and weapons.
One weapon reportedly had "hate speech" written on it.
FBI Special Agent Mark Remily noted: “They didn’t discriminate on who they hated. It covered a wide aspect of races and religions.”
Vazquez's writings heavily featured incel ideology, personal resentments, and mental health struggles.
Investigation Ongoing
Over 30 firearms were recovered from linked residences. The FBI and San Diego PD continue analyzing digital footprints, the full manifesto, and livestream. No additional suspects are named.
This incident echoes patterns from prior attacks involving online radicalization of young men into hybrid extremist ideologies. Community vigils and support efforts continue in San Diego.
Shasta Unfiltered will update as more verified details emerge from official sources.
