Authorities are reviewing a video apparently posted on-line by one of many suspects in Monday’s lethal taking pictures on the Islamic Middle of San Diego that seems to seize a livestream of the assault and its aftermath, sources advised ABC Information.
Investigators are additionally inspecting the diploma to which the assault might be tied to nihilistic violent extremism, the sources mentioned.
Three males, considered one of whom was a safety guard, have been killed within the taking pictures on Monday, authorities mentioned, with investigators saying they’re presently contemplating the incident as a hate crime.
Two suspects, aged 17 and 18, have been discovered lifeless in a automobile close by, police mentioned. Authorities are investigating two youngsters, Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, because the suspected attackers within the taking pictures, a number of sources advised ABC Information.
Gregory Bull/AP Photograph/Gregory Bull – PHOTO: Police carry weapons on the scene of a taking pictures exterior the Islamic Middle of San Diego on Might 18, 2026, in San Diego.
Sources mentioned a video posted to an internet gore website allegedly exhibits the suspects approaching the middle after which opening fireplace, with an individual believed to be suspect Clark carrying camouflage fatigues and a plate provider.
In a later portion of the video, sources mentioned the particular person believed to be Clark might be seen reaching into the backseat of the automobile after which taking pictures Vazquez, earlier than chambering a second spherical and taking his personal life.
A Sonnenrad patch, depicting a neo-Nazi image, and what analysts assess is probably going a patch for a militant accelerationist group, are each seen on the plate provider being worn by the particular person believed to be Clark, based on sources. Moreover, writings are seen on a gun, together with drawings of SS bolts and neo-Nazi insignias, sources mentioned.
Additional symbols related to neo-Nazism and militant accelerationism have been discovered on the scene of the taking pictures, together with a flag with a Sonnenrad on it and a gasoline can with SS bolts drawn on it, based on sources.
Madison Warhawks Wrestling/Instagram – PHOTO: Undated photograph of Cain Clark, a suspect in taking pictures on the Islamic Middle of San Diego on Might 18, 2026.
Investigators are inspecting a prolonged doc circulating on-line that’s comprised of two hate-filled essays totaling 75 pages allegedly written by the suspected shooters, sources advised ABC Information.
Each essays promote white nationalism and specific a hatred for immigrants, racial minorities and others, in addition to anger towards ladies preferring taller males, based on sources. Vazquez allegedly writes he’s an “accelerationist” in his essay, echoing nihilistic rhetoric, sources mentioned.
It is unclear when the essays have been really written — a bit supposed to determine the “targets” is left clean, sources mentioned.
Social media accounts believed to be tied to Clark replicate doable associations with nihilistic violent extremist ideology, sources additionally advised ABC Information.
Early final yr, police in Chula Vista, California, spoke with Vazquez after somebody who knew him expressed issues that he was taken with extremist ideology and mass-casualty assaults, although the issues at that time did not meet the brink for making an arrest, sources advised ABC Information. A spokesperson for the Chula Vista Police Division advised ABC Information on Tuesday that the division “extends its deepest condolences to all these affected by this tragedy” however declined to reply questions in regards to the prior contact.
3 adults killed in taking pictures at Islamic Middle of San Diego; each suspects lifeless: Police
The suspects met on-line and found they each lived within the San Diego space, based on Mark Remily, the particular agent answerable for the FBI’s San Diego Subject Workplace. They seem to have been radicalized on-line and had a “broad hatred” towards a big selection of races and religions, Remily mentioned throughout a press briefing Tuesday.
“They did not discriminate on who they hated,” Remily mentioned.
Investigators have recovered writings that define “spiritual and racial beliefs of how the world they envision ought to look,” Remily mentioned. Authorities are within the technique of analyzing the writings to be taught what led to the assault and tips on how to stop future ones, in addition to trying into “how the radicalization occurred,” he mentioned.
It is too early within the investigation to inform if the mosque was the particular goal, authorities mentioned.
“We’re nonetheless trying by way of electronics to offer us the solutions, however once more, what I can say is that they positively had a broad hatred in the direction of numerous of us,” Remily mentioned.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl mentioned regulation enforcement remains to be working to find out the scope of the “menace image,” when requested if the Islamic middle’s colleges have been the supposed goal.
Police are investigating how the suspects obtained firearms within the taking pictures, Wahl mentioned Tuesday. The weapons belonged to the mother and father of one of many suspects, he mentioned.
Throughout searches of two residences related to the suspects, authorities seized “quite a few pistols, rifles, shotguns, ammunition, tactical gear, in addition to electronics,” Remily mentioned.
“To this point on this investigation, we have seized over 30 weapons and a crossbow,” he mentioned.
Mike Blake/Reuters – PHOTO: A girl pays her respects by leaving flowers, exterior the Islamic Centre of San Diego, the morning following a taking pictures, in San Diego, Might 19, 2026.
The taking pictures was reported shortly earlier than midday Monday, police mentioned.
A evaluation of video exhibits that the suspects bought right into a “gun battle” with the safety guard, who was killed exterior the mosque, based on Wahl.
The safety guard had managed to place out a “lockdown protocol,” which together with the sound of gunfire, allowed these in the primary widespread areas of the mosque to enter hiding, he mentioned. There have been some 140 youngsters inside on the time, he mentioned.
The suspects moved room by room as soon as inside, however didn’t run into anybody, the police chief mentioned. At one level, they’re seen looking a window, with one pointing to the window, earlier than working out a close-by door, at which level they “instantly have interaction” the 2 different victims exterior within the car parking zone, he mentioned.
Amin Abdullah, the safety guard killed, has been hailed as a hero.
“His actions, surely, delayed, distracted and finally deterred these two people from getting access to the higher areas of the mosque the place as many as 140 youngsters have been inside 15 toes of those suspects,” Wahl mentioned Tuesday.
The 2 different victims killed within the taking pictures — recognized by authorities as Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad — “drew the eye” of the suspects right into a car parking zone “the place they have been sadly unable to flee,” Wahl mentioned. They have been cornered by the suspects and killed, Wahl mentioned.
San Diego Police Dept. – PHOTO: Undated photographs of L-R: Mansour Kaziha, Amin Abdullah and Nadir Awad, the victims of the taking pictures on the Islamic Middle of San Diego on Might 18, 2026.
Police are investigating a possible motive however mentioned the taking pictures is presently being thought of as a hate crime.
“There was positively hate rhetoric that was concerned,” Wahl mentioned throughout a Monday press briefing.
Anti-Islamic writings have been discovered within the automobile with the 2 teenagers, sources advised ABC Information.
About two hours earlier than the taking pictures on the mosque, San Diego police acquired a name involving the 17-year-old suspect, a couple of runaway juvenile, based on Wahl. The teenager’s mom reported that “a number of of her weapons” and her automobile have been lacking, he mentioned. The mom additionally discovered a observe, Wahl mentioned, the contents of which the police chief didn’t share.
The Related Press – APTOPIX Islamic Middle Taking pictures
The mom advised police that her son was with one other particular person and that they have been each “wearing camo,” Wahl mentioned.
Officers have been trying to trace down the automobile and dispatched police to a mall and to a college with which one of many teenagers was related, when the taking pictures on the mosque was reported, he mentioned.
The Islamic Middle of San Diego says it’s the largest mosque in San Diego County.
“Now we have by no means skilled a tragedy like this earlier than,” Taha Hassan, Imam and Director of Islamic Middle of San Diego, mentioned of the middle at a information convention.
Hassan mentioned he is sending “prayers and standing in solidarity with all of the households in our group right here, and in addition the opposite mosques, and all of the locations of worship in our lovely metropolis.”
The Related Press – APTOPIX Islamic Middle Taking pictures
“This can be very outrageous to focus on a spot of worship. Our Islamic middle is a spot of worship. Folks come to the Islamic middle to wish, to have fun, to be taught, not solely Muslims, however we’ve got folks from all walks of life,” Hassan added.
“The spiritual intolerance and the hate, sadly, that exists in our nation is unprecedented,” Hassan mentioned.
“We strongly condemn this horrifying act of violence,” Tazheen Nizam, the chief director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, mentioned in an announcement. “Our ideas are with everybody impacted by this assault. Nobody ought to ever worry for his or her security whereas attending prayers or finding out at an elementary college.”
Safety guard at Islamic Middle of San Diego hailed as a hero
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria advised ABC Information that “we instantly have elevated patrols round spiritual websites, each our Muslim, Jewish and different religion communities throughout town. And I think about we’ll keep that posture for a while.”
“[I] consider that when the investigation is full that that safety guard will likely be credited with an incredible saving of many, many lives, together with many youngsters, an absolute hero who sadly misplaced his life, however for whom we’re all grateful,” Gloria mentioned.
“Hate has no residence in San Diego. Islamophobia has no residence in San Diego,” the mayor mentioned throughout a press convention.
ABC Information’ Meg Christie, Luke Barr and Alex Stone contributed to this report.