San Diego Mosque Shooting Probe Finds Online Radicalization Of Teen Attackers
Two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18, 2026, killing three people; the two suspects were later found dead in a nearby vehicle.[1]
Imam Taha Hassane identified the victims as Amin Abdullah, 51; Mansour Kaziha, 78; and Nader Awad, 57.[2] Abdullah, the center's security guard, confronted the attackers and officials say his actions helped keep about 140 children safe at the attached school.[3] Police identified the suspects as Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, teenagers later found dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a nearby car.[4] Authorities say they seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow and recovered anti-Islamic writings and a manifesto from the suspects' vehicle.[2] The FBI says the teens "appear to have been radicalized online" and that the recovered writing expressed hatred toward multiple races and religions.[5]
On Sunday, May 17, 2026, one suspect's mother called police to report her son missing along with two handguns, a rifle and the family car, prompting a be-on-the-lookout alert before the shooting.[6] Officers briefly spotted a vehicle matching the description before the attack but lost sight of it in traffic, investigators later said.[6] Investigators also say the two suspects met online, were influenced by online communities that glorify past shooters, and recorded roughly a 10-minute video of the attack that later circulated on a gore website.[7]
Early live reports focused on the active-shooter response as police secured the mosque and evacuated children.[8] As federal agents examined a manifesto, weapons and digital evidence, coverage shifted toward motive and online radicalization as central to the probe.[5] The FBI has opened a federal investigation and authorities continue to treat the case as a potential hate crime while they work to reconstruct how the teens were radicalized.[9]
Show source details & analysis (24 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont, killing three adult men inside the center; the two suspects were later found dead in a nearby vehicle, bringing the total dead to five (Islamic Center of San Diego).
- Imam Taha Hassane publicly identified the three victims as Amin Abdullah, 51; Mansour Kaziha, 78; and Nader Awad, 57 (Imam Taha Hassane).
- Security guard Amin Abdullah confronted the attackers and was killed; officials credited his actions with delaying the gunmen and helping to save about 140 children at the attached Al Rashid School (Amin Abdullah).
- The mother of one suspect called police on Sunday, May 17, 2026, reporting her son missing along with two handguns, a rifle and the family car; police issued a BOLO and officers briefly spotted a matching vehicle before the May 18 attack (the mother of one suspect).
- Authorities identified the suspects as Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, who were teenagers (reported as 17 and 18) and were later found dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle a few blocks from the mosque (Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez).
- FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said investigators recovered a manifesto and other writings and that the teens “appear to have been radicalized online,” with materials reflecting hatred toward multiple races and religions (Mark Remily).
- Investigators reported they seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow and recovered anti‑Islamic writings and a note outlining religious and racial beliefs from the suspects’ vehicle (seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow).
- Officials say the attackers met and were influenced in online spaces, and they recorded or livestreamed roughly a 10-minute video of the May 18 attack that was later shared on a gore website and appears to have originated on Discord (10-minute video).
- San Diego police and federal authorities are treating the case as a potential hate crime and the FBI has opened its own investigation; Police Chief Scott Wahl said there was “definitely hate rhetoric involved” in the attack (being investigated as a hate crime).
📰 Source Timeline (24)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
May 20, 2026
1:18 PM
Islamic Center of San Diego shooters met online and became radicalized, FBI says
New information:
- In a May 20, 2026 CBS News report, the FBI said the two teenage gunmen who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego met online and became radicalized in internet spaces before the May 18 shooting.
- The FBI characterization of their pathway as online radicalization builds on prior indications they were influenced by communities that glorify past mass shooters, adding federal attribution and emphasis on digital platforms.
- The CBS segment situates this finding within the ongoing federal investigation, indicating that online interactions between the suspects are now a central focus for investigators.
11:42 AM
Takeaways from Tuesday's primaries. And, victims of mosque shooting revealed
New information:
- On May 20, 2026 San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the three adult victims were killed while attempting to stop the gunmen during the May 18 Islamic Center of San Diego attack.
- Imam Taha Hassane publicly identified the victims as Mansour Kaziha, 78, Nader Awad, 57, and Amin Abdullah, 51, and police said Abdullah, a security guard, saved the lives of 140 children during the shooting by preventing the attackers from reaching classrooms.
- NPR notes that authorities have now "released more details" about both the victims and the two suspected teen gunmen, expanding the official account of their actions during the attack.
May 19, 2026
11:13 PM
Teen attackers in mosque shooting were wallowing in hate, investigators say
New information:
- Investigators identified the shooters as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez and said they initially met online before discovering they both lived in the San Diego area and later meeting in person.
- FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said at a May 19, 2026 press conference that the teens 'did not discriminate in who they hated' and were radicalized online, sharing a broad hate-filled worldview.
- CBS reviewed a 75-page document the FBI calls a 'manifesto' that glorifies past mass shooters and promotes anti-Islamic, antisemitic, racist and misogynistic rhetoric, with language tied to nihilistic violent extremism and 'accelerationism'; investigators suspect it may have been compiled from long-circulating online texts, possibly with AI assistance.
- A suicide note left by one of the teens stated he was willing to die for his cause, according to a law-enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
- The attackers livestreamed or recorded roughly a 10-minute video of the May 18, 2026 attack, which shows Clark in camouflage fatally shooting Vazquez and then himself; the video, later shared widely on a gore website, also depicts weapons and gear marked with neo-Nazi insignia and appears to have been recorded originally via the Discord platform.
- Authorities say the teens had stockpiled about 30 guns and a crossbow, taken from the parents of one of them, before the attack.
- Clark's mother first called 911 around 9:40 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026, reporting her son was suicidal, missing along with multiple weapons, her vehicle and wearing camouflage, which triggered a general threat alert but no specific target.
- Investigators say that after killing security guard Amin Abdullah outside the Islamic Center of San Diego and triggering a lockdown that moved more than 100 children to another area, the teens went door to door in the building, then shifted outside again after spotting two men in the parking lot through a window and fatally shooting them before fleeing.
- The article reports that the teens followed and were influenced by multiple previous mass shooters, including the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacker, and that the gore site hosting their video is part of a 'True Crime Community' online milieu that glorifies mass shooters and encourages violence and self-harm.
- Authorities told CBS the FBI has had the gore platform on its radar and that investigators believe the online subculture and mass-shooter fandom directly shaped the San Diego attackers' planning and propaganda approach.
11:06 PM
Imam of San Diego mosque says his community has seen a rise in Islamophobia
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, two suspects ages 17 and 18 opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing three men; police say the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
- Imam Taha Hassane told CBS News on May 19, 2026 that his community has seen a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment, and that congregants have noticed growth in white supremacist activity locally and nationally.
- CAIR's latest annual report cited in the article says it received 8,683 civil-rights complaints nationwide in 2025, the highest total since it began tracking in 1996, and both CAIR and the ADL reported significant increases in anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents after the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023.
- Hassane said security guard Amin Abdullah confronted the shooters and helped prevent them from entering the Al Rashid School classrooms, crediting him with preventing additional casualties among children and staff.
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl publicly called Abdullah's actions heroic and said he 'undoubtedly saved lives' by engaging the attackers.
- Hassane identified victim Mansour Kaziha as a congregant since the mosque's construction about four decades ago and described him as a 'pillar' of the center, and said third victim Nader Awad, husband of an Al Rashid School teacher, ran toward the gunfire intending to protect others.
- The imam said San Diego's Muslim population numbers more than 100,000 and described the Islamic Center as serving a large share of that community.
10:35 PM
Teen Suspects in San Diego Mosque Shooting Likely Radicalized Online, Officials Say
New information:
- On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said the two teenage suspects in the May 18 Islamic Center of San Diego shooting appear to have been radicalized online.
- Remily said officials recovered what they described as a manifesto outlining hatred toward many races and religions, indicating the suspects "didn't discriminate on who they hated."
- Investigators said the written statement did not uniquely target Muslims or specifically single out the Islamic Center of San Diego, even though it was the site of the attack.
9:17 PM
3 victims identified in deadly San Diego mosque shooting
New information:
- At a Tuesday, May 19, 2026 press conference, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl identified the three people killed as Amin Abdullah (the mosque security guard and father of eight), and staff members Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad.
- Wahl said Abdullah, formerly known as Brian Climax, delayed and deterred the two gunmen near an area where about 140 children were within roughly 15 feet, and that Kaziha and Awad drew the attackers back toward the parking lot, where the suspects killed them.
- Authorities publicly identified the two suspected shooters as Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, who were found dead in a nearby car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
- FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said investigators have seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow, and multiple sources told MS NOW that anti-Islamic writings and a note outlining religious and racial beliefs were recovered from the suspects' vehicle.
- Remily stated the suspects "appear to have been radicalized online" and said their writings reflected "various ideologies" about how they believed the world should look, adding that "these subjects did not discriminate on who they hated."
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Vice President JD Vance both issued public condemnations of the attack on May 19, with Vance calling the violence reprehensible and asking Americans to pray for the victims.
7:48 PM
Watch: San Diego officials provide new info on heroism during Islamic Center shooting
New information:
- On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, San Diego officials held a press conference giving new details about Monday's May 18 shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- Officials said the three victims took specific actions to draw the shooters away from children who were present at the mosque, describing those efforts as heroic.
- Officials took questions from reporters about the victims' actions and the sequence of events, and CBS national correspondent Lana Zak provided additional reporting following the briefing.
6:40 PM
What to know about the deadly attack by teen gunmen on a San Diego mosque
New information:
- Police say the attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego began about two hours after a 9:40 a.m. Monday, May 18, 2026 call from one suspect's mother reporting her teenage son had run away with her guns and vehicle and was suicidal.
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the search escalated when officers learned the teen was dressed in camouflage and accompanied by an acquaintance, which officers viewed as inconsistent with an imminent suicide.
- Officers used automated license plate readers, dispatched units to a nearby mall, and alerted Madison High School, where at least one suspect was a student, before the shooting occurred.
- Police now say the attack is being investigated as a hate crime, citing evidence that the suspects engaged in 'generalized hate rhetoric,' though details have not yet been released.
- As officers arrived at the mosque, gunshots were reported a few blocks away at a separate scene where a landscaper was shot at but not injured; the two suspects were then found dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road.
- Imam Taha Hassane said a group of non-Muslims had been touring the mosque earlier Monday to learn about Islam, and confirmed that no students at the attached Al Rashid School were harmed.
- A family friend identified one victim as security guard Amin Abdullah, whom Chief Wahl credited with playing 'a pivotal role' in preventing an even deadlier attack and described as 'heroic.'
- Aerial footage showed schoolchildren from the Al Rashid School being led hand-in-hand out of the parking lot by authorities after the attack.
3:47 PM
Alleged shooters in Islamic Center of San Diego attack identified as Cain Clark and Caleb Velasquez: report
New information:
- On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Fox News, citing a law-enforcement source via the New York Post, reported the alleged shooters as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez.
- Both suspects were found dead with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle a few blocks from the Islamic Center of San Diego after the May 18 attack.
- Clark’s grandfather, David Clark, 78, confirmed his relationship to Cain and told the New York Post the family was shocked and knew little more than the public.
- School records and statements indicate Cain Clark had wrestled for Madison High School and had been attending iHigh Virtual Academy, an online program in the San Diego Unified School District, since 2021.
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said one suspect’s mother called police about two hours before the May 18 shooting to report her son missing, along with missing firearms and her vehicle, and that she believed he was suicidal.
- Wahl added that the search gained urgency as police learned the teen was dressed in camouflage and accompanied by an acquaintance, details that did not match a typical suicide scenario.
- Authorities continue to investigate the May 18 shooting as a potential hate crime, saying evidence indicates the suspects engaged in hate rhetoric, though a specific motive remains officially undetermined.
3:13 PM
Security guard killed in San Diego Islamic Center shooting remembered as a hero
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, a security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego was killed while confronting the two teen gunmen and is being widely described by officials and witnesses as a hero.
- Witnesses and community members say the guard kept the attackers away from the attached school, where children and teachers were present, and all students and staff were reported safe.
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said on May 18 that the guard’s actions were "heroic" and "undoubtedly" saved lives by helping contain the situation before police arrived.
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced more police officers would be deployed to guard places of worship after the attack and publicly thanked the guard, saying his heroism "undoubtedly saved lives."
- The article notes the guard was a father of eight and was known in the community for kindness and generosity, though his name has not yet been released.
- Police reiterate that three men were killed, including the security guard, and that the two suspected gunmen were found dead inside a nearby vehicle; the incident continues to be investigated as a possible hate crime.
12:47 PM
Teen suspect's mom alerted police before deadly mosque shooting
New information:
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told CBS News that the mother of one of the suspected teen shooters alerted police shortly before the May 18, 2026 attack that her son was missing along with multiple weapons and her vehicle.
- Wahl characterized the call as a missing-person and missing-weapons alert made in the narrow window before the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
11:33 AM
California mosque shooting leaves 5 dead. And, judge dismisses Trump's IRS lawsuit
New information:
- NPR reports that on Monday, May 18, 2026, San Diego police responded to a call from the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont and found three people dead inside the center and two teenage suspects dead in a nearby car, for a total of five dead.
- Police now say the suspects were 17 and 18 years old, slightly revising earlier accounts that put the older suspect at 19.
- San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said 'there was definitely hate rhetoric involved' and confirmed the shooting is being investigated as a potential hate crime, while declining to provide further detail.
- Wahl stated that one of the victims was a security guard at the center, and that families waited hours for their children to be evacuated from the school located inside the mosque.
- The FBI confirmed it has opened its own investigation into the attack.
3:03 AM
A Fearful Phone Call and Frantic Search Preceded San Diego Mosque Shooting
New information:
- On the evening of Sunday, May 17, 2026, the mother of one teen suspect called San Diego police to report her son missing along with two handguns, a rifle, and the family car (article dates relative to the May 18 shooting).
- After the initial call, the mother made at least one additional call providing more information and expressing rising fear about what her son might do.
- San Diego police issued a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) for the missing vehicle before the shooting and officers were actively searching for the car in the hours leading up to the May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- Officers spotted a vehicle matching the description shortly before the shooting but lost sight of it in traffic; investigators later determined it was the suspects’ car.
- The article provides a more granular, hour-by-hour account of the family’s efforts, police communications, and the gap between the missing-person/guns report and the gunfire at the mosque on Monday, May 18, 2026.
1:14 AM
Mom reported son missing along with weapons and car before Islamic Center shooting, police say
New information:
- At a Monday evening, May 18, 2026 news conference, San Diego police said one suspect's mother had reported her son missing along with weapons and a vehicle before the Islamic Center of San Diego shooting.
- Police reiterated that the two suspects killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego before being found dead in a nearby vehicle.
- The CBS segment confirms that this detail about the mother's prior report emerged from the formal police briefing, not earlier in-the-moment coverage.
May 18, 2026
10:56 PM
Teenage gunmen open fire on Islamic Center of San Diego, police say
New information:
- PBS reports that police say the two suspects are believed to be 17 and 19 years old, refining earlier descriptions that both were teenagers.
- Police officials told PBS that three adult males were killed in the attack, explicitly including a security guard among the dead.
- Investigators told PBS they are treating the shooting as a hate crime "until proven otherwise."
- The PBS segment, aired Monday, May 18, 2026, confirms that the two teenage suspects were later found dead from apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
10:40 PM
No children hurt in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego, officials say
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, officials said no children were injured in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- Authorities stated that at least three adults were killed when two gunmen opened fire at the mosque.
- Officials said the two suspected gunmen, described as teenagers, were found dead inside a nearby car.
9:33 PM
Police investigating shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego as a hate crime
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, San Diego police said they are investigating the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego as a potential hate crime.
- Police said at least three victims and two suspected shooters are dead in connection with Monday's attack, refining casualty details previously reported as at least three fatalities and an unspecified threat status.
- CBS News reported these updated figures and the hate-crime investigative focus in a segment published at 4:33 p.m. Central on May 18, 2026.
9:33 PM
Three People Killed in Shooting at San Diego Mosque
New information:
- Wall Street Journal reports that San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said officers were alerted to an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego at approximately 11:43 a.m. local time on Monday, May 18, 2026.
- The article confirms three people were killed inside the mosque, matching earlier casualty figures from other outlets but reinforcing that officers found all three deceased at the scene.
- Wall Street Journal reiterates that authorities located the two suspected shooters, both teenagers, dead nearby, aligning with previously reported suspect details.
9:26 PM
3 killed in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego; 2 suspects also dead | Special Report
New information:
- CBS reports on Monday, May 18, 2026, that three adults were killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- The same CBS special report says two suspects are also dead, for a total of five fatalities linked to the incident.
- The CBS segment timestamps the fatality figures to a special report aired at 4:26 p.m. Central on May 18, 2026.
8:35 PM
At least 3 dead in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego, police say threat ‘neutralized’
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, Imam Taha Hassane said at least three people were killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, including a security guard and two staff members of the on-site Islamic school.
- Sharp Memorial Hospital said on May 18 that it is receiving patients from the incident and has activated disaster procedures while coordinating with San Diego County and other resources.
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria stated he was aware of the active-shooter situation at the Islamic Center in the Clairemont area and said emergency personnel were on scene working to protect the community and secure the area.
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement saying no one should fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school and said it is working to learn more about the incident.
8:20 PM
San Diego police say threat at Islamic Center "has been neutralized"
New information:
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, San Diego police said the threat at the Islamic Center of San Diego had been 'neutralized' after responding to a reported active shooter.
- Police earlier described the situation as 'active but contained' and established a reunification site at San Diego Clairemont Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
- A nearby resident told CBS they heard about two dozen gunshots in several bursts and called 911, though police have not yet confirmed that shots were fired or whether there are casualties.
- San Diego police set media staging at the northwest corner of Lindbergh Park (4141 Ashford Street) and said more details would be given at a forthcoming news conference.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said he had been briefed on the evolving situation near the Islamic Center and that the state Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local law enforcement.
8:07 PM
San Diego police say they are responding to an active shooter at a local mosque
New information:
- The Associated Press/PBS report timestamps the incident as occurring on Monday, May 18, 2026, and confirms that an active shooter opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego that day.
- San Diego Police Officer Anthony Carrasco said people reported multiple shots and that police believe people have been shot, though casualty details were not yet available.
- Police stated the scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego was 'still active but contained' as of the time of the report, and it was unclear whether the shooter was inside or outside or had been captured.
- Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being escorted out of the center's parking lot by authorities.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said he was being briefed on the situation and posted a statement on X thanking first responders and urging residents to follow police guidance.
- The article notes that the Islamic Center of San Diego is the largest mosque in San Diego County and that its campus includes the Al Rashid School serving children with Arabic and Islamic studies courses.
7:59 PM
Active shooter reported at Islamic Center of San Diego
New information:
- CBS’s initial short hit, published about 2:59 p.m. Central on Monday, May 18, 2026, reported that police were responding to a 'reported active shooter' at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- The clip attributes the on‑scene reporting to CBS affiliate KFMB and characterizes the situation specifically as an active-shooter response rather than another type of police activity.