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Shooting at San Diego Islamic Center kills three in suspected hate crime

FBI opens federal hate crime investigation after attack kills three at San Diego mosque·May 18, 2026

On May 18, 2026, two teenage gunmen, 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, both San Diego residents, shot and killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego (7050 Eckstrom Ave, Clairemont), the largest mosque in San Diego County. The victims were a mosque security guard and two staff members of the Islamic school on the grounds. Both suspects died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle parked near the center. Investigators found anti-Islamic writing on at least one of the firearms and inside the vehicle. A suicide note containing "racial pride" language was recovered from the car.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily confirmed the FBI is leading the investigation as a federal hate crime. SDPD Chief Scott Wahl briefed both President Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump called it "a terrible situation"; Newsom said California "stands with" the Muslim community. The Islamic school on the center's grounds was safely evacuated.

Federal hate crime prosecution falls under 18 U.S.C. § 249, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Obama on October 28, 2009. That statute criminalizes violence motivated by a victim's actual or perceived religion and gives the FBI lead investigatory authority. Attorney General Todd Blanche must certify that federal prosecution "is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice" before charges can proceed.

The shooting occurred during a documented period of rising anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States. CAIR's 2025 Civil Rights Report recorded 8,658 complaints in 2024, the highest total since the organization began tracking in 1996, a 7.4% increase over 2023. FBI data shows anti-Muslim incidents ranked second among religion-based hate crimes in 2024, with 228 reported offenses.

Key facts

At 9:42 a.m. on May 18, 2026, SDPD received a 911 call from the mother of Cain Clark, age 17, reporting that her son was missing, suicidal, and had taken her car and several of her firearms. SDPD received reports of gunfire at the Islamic Center of San Diego (7050 Eckstrom Ave, Clairemont) at approximately 11:43 a.m. Officers arrived within four minutes. (NBC News)

Three adult men were killed: a mosque security guard, whom SDPD Chief Scott Wahl publicly described as heroic, and two staff members of the Islamic school on the center's grounds. All three victims were adult males. (CNN)

Suspects Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, both San Diego residents, were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle parked near the center. Clark attended James Madison High School virtually. (NBC News)

Investigators found anti-Islamic writing on at least one firearm and inside the vehicle. A suicide note with racial pride language was recovered. SDPD Chief Wahl confirmed hate rhetoric was involved in determining the case as a hate crime. (Times of San Diego)

FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily announced at a public press conference that the FBI is leading the investigation as a federal hate crime under 18 U.S.C. § 249, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. That statute covers religion-motivated violence without requiring an additional federal nexus. (FBI)

Attorney General Todd Blanche must certify in writing that federal prosecution 'is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice' before the Justice Department can bring charges under 18 U.S.C. § 249. That certification requirement gives the AG sole gatekeeping authority over whether the federal hate crime statute produces charges in this case. (DOJ Civil Rights Division)

SDPD Chief Scott Wahl briefed President Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom separately following the attack. Trump called it 'a terrible situation.' Newsom said he and his wife were 'horrified' and told the Muslim community that California 'stands with you.' (NBC News)

CAIR's 2025 Civil Rights Report recorded 8,658 anti-Muslim discrimination complaints in 2024, a 7.4% increase over 2023's 8,061, and the highest total since CAIR began tracking in 1996. CAIR's San Diego chapter, led by Executive Director Hussam Ayloush, is among the organizations supporting affected families. (CAIR California)

FBI data shows 228 anti-Muslim hate crime incidents in 2024, ranking second among religion-based hate crime categories nationally. The gap between CAIR's 8,658 complaints and the FBI's 228 incidents reflects structural underreporting: most hate crimes don't reach law enforcement as formal reports. (FBI Hate Crime Statistics 2024)