Three Killed in Shooting at San Diego's Largest Mosque — Two Teen Suspects Dead

Three people are dead and two teenage suspects are dead after a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning. The attack — which targeted the largest mosque in San Diego County during a sacred period in the Muslim calendar — is being investigated by both local police and the FBI as a possible hate crime.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl confirmed at an afternoon press conference that three adult men were killed in the attack. A security guard was among the dead. The two suspects — identified by senior law enforcement officials as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18 — were found dead inside a vehicle near the mosque, appearing to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. No officers fired their weapons during the incident.

What Happened

Police received the first calls reporting an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego at 11:43 a.m. The mosque is located in the Clairemont Mesa East neighborhood, roughly eight miles north of downtown San Diego.

Officers arrived within minutes and found three men dead in front of the Islamic Center. Around the same time, police began receiving calls about gunfire a few blocks away. A landscaper working in the area was shot at but not hit. Shortly after, officers located a vehicle in the street — the suspects were inside, both dead from what investigators believe were self-inflicted wounds.

At 1:07 p.m., police confirmed the scene was contained and the shooter threat had been neutralized. A massive SWAT and law enforcement response had blanketed the Clairemont neighborhood during the active phase of the incident, with nearby schools evacuating children as officers established a perimeter.

Imam Taha Hassane, the longtime director of the Islamic Center, posted a video message to Facebook shortly after the scene was secured. "We are safe. The entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff and the teachers are safe out of the Islamic Center," he said.

What Investigators Found

The investigation is still in its very early stages, but law enforcement officials have already disclosed one significant detail: one of the suspects took a firearm from their parents' home before the attack and left behind a suicide note that contained writings about racial pride.

The FBI's special agent in charge of the San Diego field office, Mark Remily, confirmed the bureau's involvement at a news conference Monday afternoon. Chief Wahl said investigators will be reviewing extensive security camera footage from the Islamic Center and processing a significant amount of physical evidence.

"There's going to be a tremendous amount of information and details that we're going to try to sort and put this puzzle back together again," Wahl said.

The Community's Response

The attack fell on the first day of Dhul Hijjah — one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, the period during which the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca takes place. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called it a particular cruelty that the attack occurred on that day.

"I am outraged and heartbroken by today's shooting and murder at the Islamic Center of San Diego, especially as today marks the first day of Dhul Hijjah, a sacred and holy time for Muslims," Bass said in a statement. "Houses of worship must be true sanctuaries where hate and violence have no place."

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he was monitoring the situation throughout the afternoon and urged residents to avoid the area. The Los Angeles Police Department announced it would increase patrols at mosques, Islamic centers, and other houses of worship across the city — making clear there was no known threat in Los Angeles but that the response was a precautionary measure.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement calling for the community to pray for the victims. "No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school," CAIR National wrote on X.

Ammar Campa-Najjar, a California congressional candidate who attended school at the Islamic Center of San Diego as a child, said he was "deeply devastated and heartbroken."

What We Don't Know Yet

The investigation remains very much in its opening hours. The motive — while suggested by the suicide note's references to racial pride — has not been officially confirmed or characterized. The identities of the three victims have not yet been released. The full sequence of events inside the mosque is still being reconstructed from security footage and witness accounts.

What is known is that three men went to their mosque on a Monday morning and did not come home. Two teenagers, armed and apparently prepared for what they were about to do, drove to the largest mosque in San Diego County and opened fire. The investigation into why will continue for some time. The grief in the community it has left behind has already begun.

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