Authorities are investigating what led a 17-year-old homeschooled wrestler and an 18-year-old to allegedly open fireplace on San Diego’s largest mosque on Monday, killing three folks in what police have referred to as a hate crime.
The suspects had been discovered lifeless in a automotive on a road shut to the mosque with obvious self-inflicted gunshot wounds, in accordance to a number of legislation enforcement officers.
As a part of their investigation, authorities are taking a look at hate speech scrawled on considered one of the weapons utilized in the assault, and a suicide notice that contained writings about racial pride, officers have stated.
The FBI is working carefully with legislation enforcement companions, stated Mark Remily, the particular agent answerable for the FBI’s San Diego area workplace, including investigators had been interviewing household and pals of the suspects and “gathering all the evidence from the scene for review.”
The 17-year-old suspect has been recognized by a legislation enforcement supply and audio from police dispatch as Cain Clark, whereas the id of the second suspect has not been launched.
About two hours earlier than the taking pictures was reported, police obtained a name from Clark’s mom who reported her son and car lacking, alongside a number of of her weapons, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl stated.
The mom stated her son was suicidal and was with a companion, each wearing camouflage, Wahl stated, which triggered a “larger threat assessment picture.” The variety of weapons he took from the house led investigators to consider the teen could also be a risk to others, the chief stated.
Dispatch audio reviewed by NCS captures officers reporting round 12 p.m. Monday a seek for “two white males… wearing all camo” that could possibly be armed with a stolen handgun, a shotgun and a rifle.
When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the three deceased victims outdoors the mosque, who authorities haven’t recognized. One of these killed was a security guard whose actions had been described by police as “heroic” and “saved lives.”
Law enforcement started an active-shooter response and entered the mosque and an adjoining faculty earlier than discovering the car with the two male suspects inside, each deceased.
Authorities are carrying out search warrants to comply with any leads and data to decide how the taking pictures unfolded and what may have been achieved to forestall it, Wahl stated. The investigation is being aided by copious proof, together with security cameras at the mosque.
“This is a city and a community’s absolute worst nightmare as a free society,” Wahl stated.
A suicide notice left in considered one of the suspect’s mother and father’ house contained writings about racial pleasure, a number of legislation enforcement officers instructed NCS. Additionally, hate speech was scrawled on considered one of the weapons that was utilized in the taking pictures, the officers stated.
The specifics of the language weren’t instantly clear.
But there was no particular risk to anywhere talked about in the notice and weapons of considered one of the suspects who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, Wahl stated.
“There was no specific threat, especially no specific threat to the Islamic Center. It was just general hate kind of speech that I think covered a wide gamut,” he stated. “Again, we are still actively investigating this as we speak, but it was more generalized.”
Clark was a 17-year-old highschool wrestler whose household had put him in a web-based education program in 2021, in accordance to officers.
Before he was homeschooled, Clark attended Kate Sessions Elementary School and San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, stated James Canning, a spokesperson for San Diego Unified School District.
Since Madison High School was thought of Clark’s neighborhood faculty, he was ready to take part in actions and sports activities there, and he was a member of the faculty’s wrestling group from 2024 to 2025, Canning stated. Clark had not participated in any faculty actions this yr, he added.
The faculty’s wrestling group posted on Instagram in January 2024 congratulating Clark for taking first place at a event and successful an award.
Clark had been on monitor to graduate and had no disciplinary historical past besides in elementary faculty, when he punched somebody in the leg in 2015, Canning stated.
Relatives of Clark instructed NCS they had been in shock.
In an interview outdoors their house, David and Deborah Clark, his grandparents, instructed NCS “we’re trying to process this,” and stated they had been “very sorry for what happened.”
A former wrestling teammate, who requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the state of affairs, instructed NCS that he remembered Clark as a homeschooled scholar who had been attempting to make pals and slot in with the group.
“He seemed like he was a good kid,” stated the former teammate, who solely knew him from attending wrestling practices and meets collectively. “He didn’t seem like he would do something like that.”
The teammate stated he had by no means heard Clark expressing Islamophobic or racially motivated sentiments or seen him do something violent.
“The kid was trying to fit in,” he stated. “He was always just trying his best – he was trying to fit in and find friends.”