U.S. media outlets on Tuesday published new details about 17-year-old Cain Clark, one of the two gunmen who arrived armed at a mosque in San Diego, California, on Monday evening, opened fire, killed three people and then took their own lives. Clark, who carried out what authorities believe was an anti-Muslim hate crime alongside 18-year-old Caleb Vasquez, was described by acquaintances as a “good kid” who had recently struggled with suicidal thoughts, and whose mother did everything she could to help police prevent the tragedy for which he was responsible.
The shooting took place at the Islamic Center of San Diego, a complex about 14 kilometers (9 miles) from downtown San Diego that houses the county’s largest mosque, along with educational institutions, including a preschool. Children were in class at the time and were filmed evacuating while holding hands in a human chain. Clark and Vasquez managed to kill three people outside the mosque before fleeing the scene. They were later found dead inside a BMW after apparently shooting themselves.
Additional details about the chain of events emerged overnight, and it has now become clear that the deadly mosque shooting came at the end of a two-hour manhunt for the two gunmen.
The ordeal began at 9:42 a.m. California time (7:42 p.m. Israel time), when Clark’s mother called police to report that her son was missing and that her car and several firearms kept in her home, including a 9 mm handgun and a shotgun, were gone. She told officers her son had been experiencing suicidal thoughts, and the fact that he had taken more than one weapon raised fears that he intended not only to harm himself, but also others.
Police learned that Clark was accompanied by another individual and that the two were wearing camouflage clothing. Over the next two hours, authorities launched a large-scale search operation and also sent officers to Madison High School, where Clark had been enrolled, fearing he might arrive there armed and carry out a massacre.
At 11:43 a.m., officers received reports of an armed suspect opening fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego and rushed to the scene. They found three victims dead outside the mosque, then entered the building and searched room by room, breaking down doors in an effort to locate the shooters.
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Security and emergency forces at the scene in San Diego on Monday evening
(Photo: REUTERS/Mike Blake)
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The scene of the attack in San Diego, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) from downtown
(Photo: REUTERS, ABC Affiliate KGTV)
At roughly the same time, shots were fired from a vehicle at a gardener working several blocks away from the mosque. A bullet struck his helmet but ricocheted off, saving his life. Minutes later, officers found the two suspects inside the BMW, both suffering from gunshot wounds after apparently killing themselves.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said overnight that the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. Authorities later determined that Clark left behind a suicide note containing references to “racial pride,” and that hateful messages, apparently directed at Muslims, had been written on the weapons used by the two suspects. A fuel canister found near the car bore a sticker featuring the Nazi SS symbol from Adolf Hitler’s era.
‘They hid in a closet and heard 12 gunshots’
U.S. media reported that Clark was a high school student whose family enrolled him in an online learning program during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, while he also participated in sports activities at Madison High School. During the 2024-25 school year, he was a member of the school’s wrestling team, and relatives told CNN they were shocked by his actions.
“We’re trying to process this, and we’re deeply sorry for what happened,” his grandparents, David and Debra Clark, told the network. Clark had also previously attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.
Of the three people killed at the mosque, only the identity of security guard Amin Abdullah has so far been released. Abdullah, a father of eight, acted “heroically” during the attack, according to Wahl, sacrificing his life and saving others inside the complex.
“He wasn’t just a security guard,” Abdullah’s friend Sam Hamdiah told CNN. “Whenever you walked by him, he smiled at you. He always brought this energy of, ‘Everything’s OK.’ He had great faith in God and he was always kind.”
The two other victims were also men, including a local grocery store owner.
Although no students were physically harmed, many children witnessed the chaos. One of them, 9-year-old Odai, whose mother immigrated to Southern California from the Gaza Strip 20 years ago, said he had to hide in a classroom when the shooting began. His mother said he and his classmates were quickly ushered into a closet, trembling with fear as another 12 to 16 gunshots rang out nearby.
“At one point after the shooting stopped, they heard a police SWAT team shouting outside the classroom, ‘OK, open up,’ and then they opened the door,” she said.
Describing the moment police escorted them out of the building, the boy said: “We saw a lot of bad things, people lying there, yeah, bad things. My legs were shaking, and my hands and head really hurt. I felt like a stone.”
The Islamic Center of San Diego said Tuesday morning that it would remain closed until further notice and thanked emergency responders and law enforcement for their handling of the incident.
“This was an extremely painful and traumatic day for our community, our students, our staff and San Diego as a whole,” the center said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to the first responders, security personnel and public leaders who acted quickly to address this crisis. Their courage and professionalism helped save lives during a situation no one could have imagined. May Allah heal the wounded, have mercy on those who lost their lives and strengthen everyone affected by this tragedy.”