Alleged San Diego mosque shooters identified as teens, aged 17 and 18
FBI investigating deadly mosque shooting in San Diego as hate crime
Former FBI Deputy Director Chris Swecker discusses the San Diego mosque shooting, noting that the suspect’s mother reported the guns missing before the attack. Swecker highlights the 533% increase in house of worship attacks since 2000 and praises the security guard who responded, possibly preventing more deaths in hate crimes.
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According to the New York Post, citing a law enforcement source, the suspects who allegedly killed three people at the San Diego Islamic Center were 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez.
Following the bloodshed, the suspects were found dead with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle a few blocks away from the mosque.
“We are very sorry for what happened,” said Clark’s grandfather, David Clark, 78. he told the Post. “We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”
Clark was on Madison High School’s wrestling team, according to the school’s social media page. A spokesperson for the San Diego Unified School District told Fox News Digital that Clark has been attending school virtually since 2021 through iHigh Virtual Academy.
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Cain Clark, 17, was photographed during a school wrestling event. (Facebook / madison.warhawk.wrestling)
While the motive remained unclear, authorities said the fatal shooting was being investigated as a hate crime after police said they uncovered evidence that the suspects used “hate speech.”
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said Monday that the mother of a suspect contacted authorities and reported her son missing about two hours before the fatal attack.
Authorities searched the home of the suspect in the shooting that occurred at the San Diego Islamic Center in San Diego on Monday, May 18, 2026. (Gregory Bull/AP)
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According to Wahl, the situation worsened when the mother “started to piece together pieces of information” and relayed them to investigators throughout the morning. Including that some of his firearms and vehicle were missing, according to Wahl.
“With this information, he believed his son was suicidal,” Wahl said at an evening news conference.
A body covered with a tarp lies at the scene of the shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18, 2026. (Gregory Bull/AP)
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The search for the teenager became even more urgent when police learned that the teenager was wearing camouflage and was with an acquaintance; The chief said this information was not consistent with the fact that someone was dying by suicide.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
