Teenage gunmen who opened fire on San Diego mosque identified

The teenage suspects who opened fire at the San Diego Islamic Center on Monday were identified as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News.

They were found dead inside a vehicle of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Authorities said at a news conference on Monday that police first received a call about a ‘runaway juvenile,’ with the teen’s mother reporting that her son was suicidal, that several of her weapons were missing and that her son was with a ‘companion’ dressed in camouflage.

She had also found a note that her son left behind.

‘That began to trigger a larger threat assessment picture,’ Police Chief Scott Wahl said. ‘Our threat management unit began to take the tips and leads that we had and utilize the technology we have available to us.’

Investigators are now probing anti-Islamic writings that were also found inside the vehicle, but Wahl said there were no specific threats made against the mosque or any other facility.

Anees Faraj, a security guard who has worked at the mosque off and on for over 10 years, said the guard reportedly shot dead in the attack was named Amen, and had eight children.

Faraj, whose comments were translated from Arabic by his daughter Basmah, said he was not working today and so was lucky to have avoided the attack himself.

He said he had never experienced anything like it during his years of work for the mosque.

Faraj has been a licensed security guard since 2013.

‘A friend of mine, a regular worshipper at the mosque, told me about the news,’ he said. ‘It is very shocking.’

His daughter described Faraj shaking his head in disbelief at the deadly shooting, allegedly perpetrated by two teens.

One of the teenage suspects attended nearby Madison High School, Police Chief Wahl said, but there never appeared to be any threat to the campus.

The school is located about one mile north of the mosque.

A news conference on the shooting on Monday was interrupted by a heckler.

‘Our Muslim brothers and sisters have been talking to you for how long?’ the person said as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria took the podium. ‘You have to f***ing listen to them, Todd.’

The person, standing behind the cameras, then turned and walked away.

Adrian Collen told CNN he had just arrived back to the house he shares with his mother when he heard five gunshots.

He said he then ran to the door, where he saw a white car with the driver’s side window broken and glass flying off.

The driver seemed to be yelling as he drove away, Collen said.

‘I thought it was just a kid,’ he recounted.

He said he then went outside and saw that a landscaper working at his next-door neighbor’s house was on the ground, and noticed that he was ‘bloody on the head’ as he stood up.

Police Chief Scott Wahl suggested at a news conference that the landscaper may have been wearing a helmet, which likely saved his life when the bullet ricocheted against it.

Homayra Yusufi, who has gone to the Islamic Center of San Diego since she was a child, told Axios that the community has long been afraid it may be subjected to violence.

‘The Islamic Center has gotten multiple threats of violence, and so this is all of our nightmares,’ she said.

Vanessa Chavez, 46, who lives across the street from the Islamic Center, told The New York Times she was having lunch when she heard at least four gunshots and called 911.

She said she saw a security guard standing outside in a tactical vest get struck by at least two gunshots. The impact knocked him off his feet, she said, but then he stood up and went back inside the mosque.

‘Now seeing that he lost his life, it was very brave of him,’ Chavez said.

The American Jewish Committee said on social media it stands in solidarity with the Muslim community following Monday’s deadly attack.

‘As the Muslim community across the country grapples with this murderous assault, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring all houses of worship are safe,’ it said.

‘You are not alone.’

The shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center came at the beginning of Dhu’l-Hijja today, one of the holiest months on the Muslim calendar

It translates to ‘month of the pilgrimage’ and marks a time when millions of Muslims across the world embark on the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani decried Islamophobia as he condemned the shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center on Monday.

‘I am horrified by the deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence,’ Mamdani posted to X.

‘Islamophobia endangers Muslim communities across this country. We must confront it directly and stand together against the politics of fear and division,’ he continued.

‘My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community grieving this devastating attack.’

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he and his wife ‘are horrified by today’s violent attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where families and children gather, and neighbors worship in peace and fellowship.

‘Today, this community space was shattered by gunfire.

‘California sends our deepest condolences to the families and communities impacted by today’s shooting,’ the governor continued.

‘Worshippers anywhere should not have to fear for their lives. Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith.

‘Thank you to the brave law enforcement officers and first responders who acted swiftly to protect the children and worshippers.

‘To the San Diego Muslim community: California stands with you.’