A law enforcement source has identified the alleged gunmen in a deadly shooting spree outside a San Diego mosque as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez. The attack resulted in three fatalities.
According to the same source, one suspect reportedly took a weapon from their parents’ home and left behind a suicide note expressing racial pride.
Clark was a standout wrestler at Madison High School, as noted on the school’s social media page. His grandfather, David Clark, 78, expressed shock: “We’re very sorry for what happened. We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”
Both Clark and Velasquez were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a BMW, just a few blocks away from the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Investigators discovered anti-Islamic writings in the suspects’ vehicle and “hate speech” inscribed on the firearms used, according to the source.
A shotgun and a gas can marked with an “SS” sticker were found at the scene where the gunmen’s bodies were located.
The “SS” sticker is believed to symbolize the Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary organization under Heinrich Himmler during Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime in Germany.
Police reported receiving a call about a runaway juvenile from a concerned mother at approximately 9:42 a.m.
Following the conversation with the mother, police began to assess the potential threat posed by the individual to the community.
The mother allegedly believed her son was suicidal and informed police that several weapons and her vehicle were missing.
She also mentioned that her son was with a companion and they were both dressed in camouflage.
Police have not confirmed whether the missing person was involved in the shooting, although the details align with what The Post reported.
The three victims killed at the mosque included security guard and father of eight Amin Abdullah, who police say prevented further casualties, a grocery store owner, and another man.
The suspects fled the scene in a white BMW, as stated by police during a Monday afternoon press conference.
Imam Taha Hassane from the Islamic Center assured in a video obtained by The Post that “We are safe, the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center,” a message that circulated among California’s Muslim community.
Authorities reported that officers arrived at the Islamic Center within four minutes of the initial emergency calls, describing the police response as swift and “dynamic.”
Between 50 and 100 officers entered the Islamic Center during the operation, conducting searches in classrooms, prayer areas, and surrounding buildings.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities yet to determine a motive. However, the gunmen had written anti-Islamic messages on their weapons, and one left a suicide note expressing “racial pride.”
