Police in San Diego are treating the fatal shooting outside the city's main Islamic centre as a hate crime after evidence emerged that one of the two teenage suspects left a suicide note containing references to 'racial pride' and that hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack.
The incident unfolded on the morning of 18 May 2026 at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque complex in the county, where three men were killed and two teenage gunmen were later found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds a short distance away.
What Happened at the Mosque
Two teenage gunmen opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing three men at the scene. Officers responding to emergency calls found the victims outside the complex and then discovered the two suspects, identified as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, in a vehicle parked in the middle of a nearby road.
A 24-year-old security guard at the mosque was among those killed. Police say the shooters used firearms, including a shotgun, and that a gas can bearing an 'SS'-style sticker, a symbol historically associated with Nazi-era German paramilitary forces, was found near the vehicle.
The terrorist, Cain Clark shot himself. He chose to end his life while his car was being riddled with bullets. Clark, along with his terrorist partner Caleb Vazquez, had briefly attempted to flee after carrying out a terrorist act against worshippers at a mosque in San Diego pic.twitter.com/GC8f4LYmwj
— HeLLs Thorfie Putra🇲🇨🇵🇸🇷🇺 (@HellzPutra) May 19, 2026
Evidence of Racial and Hate Motives
Investigators have revealed that a suicide note left in Cain Clark's family home contained references to 'racial pride' and what officials describe as generalised hate rhetoric. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters there was no specific threat to the Islamic Center named in the note, but that the content appeared to reflect wide-ranging hostility toward minority groups.
Those findings have reinforced the decision to investigate the case as a hate crime, even as authorities continue to establish whether the suspects had any direct links to organised extremist networks.
Who Were the Suspected Teen Gunmen?
Cain Clark, 17, had been homeschooled and was known locally as a former high school wrestler. His mother contacted police hours before the attack, telling officers her son was missing along with firearms from the family home and that he had expressed suicidal thoughts. A teammate said he had never heard Clark express Islamophobic or racially charged views, while Clark's grandparents, David and Deborah Clark, said they were trying to process what had happened.
The second suspect, 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, appears to have been Clark's close associate, though the nature and origins of their relationship remain under investigation.
Community and National Reaction
The attack has shaken San Diego's Muslim community, which views the Islamic Center as a central hub for worship, education and social services. Local imams and community leaders have called for calm while emphasising the need for increased protection at places of worship.
Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the shooting, calling it a 'violent attack' and stating that 'Hate has no place in California.' San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria described it as 'a violent act of hate' and President Donald Trump called it 'a terrible situation.'
Ongoing Investigation and Security Concerns
Police are working to establish the full chain of events leading up to the attack, including how the suspects obtained the weapons and what they may have shared online or in private messages. Authorities say there is no evidence of a specific prior threat to the Islamic Center, but the presence of hate-motivated language in the suicide note and on a firearm has prompted questions about whether warning signs were missed.
