Teen Attackers Livestream San Diego Mosque Shooting, FBI Reveals Manifesto

Two teenagers carried out a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, killing three people before taking their own lives. Authorities have uncovered a 75-page document attributed to the suspects that reveals a disturbing mix of neo-Nazi ideology, incel rage, and broad-spectrum hate targeting multiple groups. The FBI described the document as a “manifesto” filled with antisemitic, anti-Muslim, misogynistic, anti-Hispanic, anti-gay, and anti-trans rhetoric.

The suspects, identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, are believed to have met online prior to the attack. The document opens with repeated antisemitic phrases such as “IT’S THE JEWS” and calls for a violent race war, referencing “accelerationism,” a white supremacist ideology advocating societal destruction. The manifesto also includes admiration for Adolf Hitler and previous mass shooters, including the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand.

The attack was livestreamed by the teens, who wore Nazi symbols resembling the SS insignia and etched “Race War” onto one of their handguns. The video shows Clark fatally shooting Vazquez before killing himself. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the authenticity of the video, which has circulated online. Experts note that the Christchurch shooting’s livestreamed nature has influenced subsequent attackers, turning extremist violence into digital content that inspires further attacks.

FBI Special Agent Mark Remily stated, “These subjects did not discriminate in who they hated,” highlighting the manifesto’s wide-ranging hatred. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism noted the document illustrates “general misanthropy and an immersion in online nihilistic violent extremist ecosystems.”

Authorities revealed that Clark had been a member of a local high school wrestling team and that the teens had stockpiled 30 guns and a crossbow taken from Clark’s parents. The attack began shortly after Clark’s mother called 911 expressing concern that her son was suicidal and had taken multiple weapons and her vehicle. Despite this warning, no specific target was known to law enforcement before the shooting.

During the attack, a security guard named Amin Abdullah was killed while protecting others and triggering a lockdown that kept over 100 children safe inside the mosque’s school area. The attackers then exited the building to shoot two men in the parking lot before fleeing in a vehicle, shooting out the window. A few blocks away, Clark killed Vazquez and himself.

Experts studying domestic extremism describe the suspects’ writings as a “messy combination of ideological impulses,” combining accelerationist language with white supremacist, antisemitic, misogynistic, and incel references. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a professor at American University, said the manifesto reflects the mindset of young men who spend excessive time in hateful online spaces, assembling a rationale for violence.

Researchers also emphasize how the internet has lowered barriers to radicalization, with violent content circulating as “community currency” among extremist groups. Jon Lewis of George Washington University noted the suspects were very young when the Christchurch shooting occurred and have grown up consuming extremist content online. The FBI continues to investigate how the teens became radicalized and the broader implications for domestic terrorism prevention.