Authorities are reviewing a video apparently posted on-line by one of many suspects in Monday’s deadly shooting on the Islamic Heart of San Diego that seems to seize a livestream of the assault and its aftermath, sources informed ABC Information.
Investigators are additionally inspecting the diploma to which the assault might be tied to nihilistic violent extremism, the sources stated.
Three males, one in every of whom was a safety guard, have been killed within the capturing on Monday, authorities stated, with investigators saying they’re at the moment contemplating the incident as a hate crime.
Two suspects, aged 17 and 18, have been discovered useless in a automobile close by, police stated. Authorities are investigating two youngsters, Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, because the suspected attackers within the capturing, a number of sources informed ABC Information.
Police carry weapons on the scene of a capturing outdoors the Islamic Heart of San Diego on Might 18, 2026, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull/AP Picture/Gregory Bull
Sources stated a video posted to a web-based gore website allegedly exhibits the suspects approaching the middle after which opening hearth, with an individual believed to be suspect Clark sporting camouflage fatigues and a plate provider.
In a later portion of the video, sources stated the particular person believed to be Clark might be seen reaching into the backseat of the automobile after which capturing 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, in response to sources. Moreover, writings are seen on a gun, together with drawings of SS bolts and neo-Nazi insignias, sources stated.
Additional symbols related to neo-Nazism and militant accelerationism have been discovered on the scene of the capturing, together with a flag with a Sonnenrad on it and a fuel can with SS bolts drawn on it, in response to sources.
Undated photograph of Cain Clark, a suspect in capturing on the Islamic Heart of San Diego on Might 18, 2026.
Madison Warhawks Wrestling/Instagram
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 informed ABC Information.
Each essays promote white nationalism and categorical a hatred for immigrants, racial minorities and others, in addition to anger towards girls preferring taller males, in response to sources. Vazquez allegedly writes he’s an “accelerationist” in his essay, echoing nihilistic rhetoric, sources stated.
It is unclear when the essays have been truly written — a bit supposed to establish the “targets” is left clean, sources stated.
Social media accounts believed to be tied to Clark replicate potential associations with nihilistic violent extremist ideology, sources additionally informed ABC Information.
Early final yr, police in Chula Vista, California, spoke with Vazquez after somebody who knew him expressed issues that he was interested by extremist ideology and mass-casualty assaults, although the issues at that time did not meet the brink for making an arrest, sources informed ABC Information. A spokesperson for the Chula Vista Police Division informed 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.
The suspects met on-line and found they each lived within the San Diego space, in response to Mark Remily, the particular agent answerable for the FBI’s San Diego Area Workplace. They seem to have been radicalized on-line and had a “broad hatred” towards a big selection of races and religions, Remily stated throughout a press briefing Tuesday.
“They did not discriminate on who they hated,” Remily stated.
Investigators have recovered writings that define “non secular and racial beliefs of how the world they envision ought to look,” Remily stated. Authorities are within the technique of analyzing the writings to be taught what led to the assault and learn how to stop future ones, in addition to wanting into “how the radicalization occurred,” he stated.
It is too early within the investigation to inform if the mosque was the particular goal, authorities stated.
“We’re nonetheless wanting via electronics to provide us the solutions, however once more, what I can say is that they undoubtedly had a broad hatred in direction of numerous of us,” Remily stated.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl stated regulation enforcement remains to be working to find out the scope of the “menace image,” when requested if the Islamic middle’s faculties have been the supposed goal.
Police are investigating how the suspects obtained firearms within the capturing, Wahl stated Tuesday. The weapons belonged to the mother and father of one of many suspects, he stated.
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 stated.
“To date on this investigation, we have seized over 30 weapons and a crossbow,” he stated.
A girl pays her respects by leaving flowers, outdoors the Islamic Centre of San Diego, the morning following a capturing, in San Diego, Might 19, 2026.
Mike Blake/Reuters
The capturing was reported shortly earlier than midday Monday, police stated.
A assessment of video exhibits that the suspects obtained right into a “gun battle” with the safety guard, who was killed outdoors the mosque, in response to 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 stated. There have been some 140 kids inside on the time, he stated.
The suspects moved room by room as soon as inside, however didn’t run into anybody, the police chief stated. At one level, they’re seen looking a window, with one pointing to the window, earlier than operating out a close-by door, at which level they “instantly interact” the 2 different victims outdoors within the parking zone, he stated.
Amin Abdullah, the safety guard killed, has been hailed as a hero.
“His actions, definitely, delayed, distracted and finally deterred these two people from getting access to the higher areas of the mosque the place as many as 140 children have been inside 15 toes of those suspects,” Wahl stated Tuesday.
The 2 different victims killed within the capturing — recognized by authorities as Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad — “drew the eye” of the suspects right into a parking zone “the place they have been sadly unable to flee,” Wahl stated. They have been cornered by the suspects and killed, Wahl stated.
Undated images of L-R: Mansour Kaziha, Amin Abdullah and Nadir Awad, the victims of the capturing on the Islamic Heart of San Diego on Might 18, 2026.
San Diego Police Dept.
Police are investigating a possible motive however stated the capturing is at the moment being thought-about as a hate crime.
“There was undoubtedly hate rhetoric that was concerned,” Wahl stated throughout a Monday press briefing.
Anti-Islamic writings have been discovered within the automobile with the 2 teenagers, sources informed ABC Information.
About two hours earlier than the capturing on the mosque, San Diego police acquired a name involving the 17-year-old suspect, a couple of runaway juvenile, in response to Wahl. The teenager’s mom reported that “a number of of her weapons” and her automobile have been lacking, he stated. The mom additionally discovered a word, Wahl stated, the contents of which the police chief didn’t share.
Hawaa Abdullah, the daughter of Amin Abdullah, a sufferer of a capturing the day prior, speaks at a press convention outdoors of the Islamic Heart of San Diego, Tuesday, Might 19, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Picture/Jae C. Hong)
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The mom informed police that her son was with one other particular person and that they have been each “wearing camo,” Wahl stated.
Officers have been making an attempt 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 capturing on the mosque was reported, he stated.
The Islamic Heart of San Diego says it’s the largest mosque in San Diego County.
“We have now by no means skilled a tragedy like this earlier than,” Taha Hassan, Imam and Director of Islamic Heart of San Diego, stated of the middle at a information convention.
Hassan stated 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.”
Two males embrace on the scene of a capturing outdoors the Islamic Heart of San Diego Monday, Might 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
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“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 have now folks from all walks of life,” Hassan added.
“The non secular intolerance and the hate, sadly, that exists in our nation is unprecedented,” Hassan stated.
“We strongly condemn this horrifying act of violence,” Tazheen Nizam, the manager director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated in an announcement. “Our ideas are with everybody impacted by this assault. Nobody ought to ever concern for his or her security whereas attending prayers or learning at an elementary faculty.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria informed ABC Information that “we instantly have elevated patrols round non secular 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 after the investigation is full that that safety guard shall be credited with an amazing saving of many, many lives, together with many kids, an absolute hero who sadly misplaced his life, however for whom we’re all grateful,” Gloria stated.
“Hate has no dwelling in San Diego. Islamophobia has no dwelling in San Diego,” the mayor stated throughout a press convention.
ABC Information’ Meg Christie, Luke Barr and Alex Stone contributed to this report.
