San Diego shooting: Authorities are conducting an investigation into the circumstances that led a 17-year-old homeschooled wrestler and an 18-year-old to reportedly open fire on the largest mosque in on Monday, resulting in the deaths of three people in what police have classified as a hate crime.
The suspects were discovered dead in a vehicle on a street near the mosque, with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, as reported by several law enforcement officials.
In the course of their investigation, authorities are examining hate speech that was inscribed on one of the firearms utilized in the assault, as well as a suicide note that included writings pertaining to racial pride, according to officials, as per CNN.
The is collaborating closely with its law enforcement partners, stated Mark Remily, the special agent overseeing the FBI’s field office. He added that investigators are interviewing the family and friends of the suspects and are in the process of “gathering all the evidence from the scene for review.”
The 17-year-old suspect has been named by a law enforcement source and audio from police dispatch as , whereas the second suspect has been identified as Caleb Velasquez.
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Cain Clark’s mother reported about her son’s suicidal behaviour
Approximately two hours prior to the reported shooting, police got a call from Clark’s mother, who informed them that her son and his vehicle were missing, along with several of her firearms, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.
The mother reported that her son was experiencing suicidal thoughts and was accompanied by another individual, both of whom were attired in camouflage, as stated by Wahl, which prompted a “broader threat assessment picture.” The quantity of firearms he retrieved from the residence led investigators to conclude that the teenager might pose a danger to others, according to the chief, CNN reported.
Upon the arrival of the police at the location, they discovered three deceased individuals outside the mosque, whose identities have not yet been disclosed by the authorities. Among those who lost their lives was a security guard, whose actions were characterized by the police as “heroic” and instrumental in “saving lives.”
Law enforcement initiated an active-shooter protocol and proceeded to enter both the mosque and a nearby school before locating the vehicle containing the two male suspects, both of whom were found deceased.
Hate speech under probe
According to several law enforcement officials who spoke to CNN, a suicide note found at the residence of one of the suspect’s parents included references to racial pride. Furthermore, hate speech was inscribed on one of the firearms utilized in the shooting, the officials reported.
The exact wording of the hate speech has not been disclosed.
However, it is important to note that the note did not contain any explicit threats directed at specific locations, as stated by Wahl, regarding the weapons belonging to one of the suspects involved in the attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego.
“There was no specific threat, especially no specific threat to the Islamic Center. It was just general hate kind of speech that I think covered a wide gamut,” he said, as per CNN. “Again, we are still actively investigating this as we speak, but it was more generalized.”
