A quiet Monday in San Diego turned deeply tragic after a violent attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego left three adult men from the community deceased.
The violence unfolded shortly before noon on Monday, May 18, at approximately 11:40 a.m. inside the mosque-and-school compound.
As the community mourns the loss of their loved ones amid the devastating tragedy, law enforcement officials have identified the suspected perpetrators as local teenagers from the San Diego area.
Highlights
- Two local teenagers have been identified following the devastating tragedy at the Islamic Center of San Diego that left three men deceased.
- A father of eight reportedly lost his life while intercepting the alleged attackers before they could enter the school building, helping protect multiple lives.
- Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime after allegedly recovering disturbing evidence from the suspects’ vehicle.
“I hope this is a wake-up call, a painful, tragic wake-up call that reminds us hate is never acceptable…” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Greater L.A. chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The two alleged teenage perpetrators have been identified by law enforcement following the devastating tragedy
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be distressing for some readers.
The Islamic Center of San Diego serves as both a mosque and a school within the same compound.
It includes a mosque, which functions as a primary place of worship and community center for local Muslims, as well as the Al Rashid School, an accredited full-time private Islamic elementary and middle school located on the property.
On Monday, two teens allegedly carried out a violent attack outside the mosque complex in the Clairemont neighborhood.
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The incident resulted in the demise of three men, including mosque security guard Amin Abdullah and Mohamed Nader, a teacher at the center.
Amin, a father of eight, reportedly lost his life while attempting to intercept the alleged perpetrators and prevent them from entering the school building, an act that authorities say helped protect numerous children and staff members inside.
Meanwhile, Nader, who lived just steps away from the mosque across the street, reportedly rushed toward the complex after hearing the firing sounds to ensure that his wife, who worked inside the school, was safe.
Three male victims, including a security guard at the facility who was also a father of eight children, lost their lives in the attack
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He was reportedly struck outside the front of the building before he could make it inside and later succumbed to his injuries.
Following the incident, both suspects allegedly fled the scene and were later found deceased inside a vehicle a few blocks away by San Diego Police Department officers. Authorities stated the teens appeared to have suffered self-inflicted firearm injuries.
According to the New York Post, investigators are treating the tragedy as a possible hate crime after allegedly recovering anti-Islamic writings, “hate speech” inscribed on one of the weapons used during the attack, and a note referencing racial pride inside the suspects’ vehicle.
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While authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime, officials have not yet publicly disclosed a motive despite evidence that reportedly points toward ideologically motivated violence.
Amid the ongoing investigation, the suspects have been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, both local San Diego residents.
While little information about Caleb has been made public as of this writing, Clark was reportedly enrolled as a virtual student through the San Diego Unified School District’s iHigh Virtual Academy and also participated in wrestling at James Madison High School.
One of the teenage suspects had reportedly been reported as a runaway juvenile by his mother roughly two hours before the attack
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He was a member of the wrestling team from 2024 to 2025 and reportedly took first place at a notable tournament in January 2024.
School officials also confirmed that Cain had no prior disciplinary record aside from a single minor incident in elementary school in 2015. According to reports, he was actively on track to graduate later this month.
Clark’s grandfather reportedly told the media, “We’re very sorry for what happened. We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”
According to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, an emergency call was made by Cain’s mother at approximately 9:42 a.m., just hours before the tragedy unfolded.
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She initially contacted authorities to report her son as a runaway juvenile whom she feared was in danger of harming himself.
During the call, she also informed officials that he had allegedly taken her vehicle along with three of her personal firearms.
Because of the detailed report, police were already searching the local area for the vehicle and responded within 4 minutes of the first emergency calls from the mosque.
“It’s a house of worship. It’s not a battlefield…” said the Islamic Center of San Diego's director and imam, Taha Hassane
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Following the tragedy, the Islamic Center of San Diego's director and imam, Taha Hassane, said during a press conference, “My community is mourning. The religious intolerance and the hate that unfortunately exists in our nation is unprecedented."
Taha added, “All of us are responsible for spreading the culture of tolerance, the culture of love. It’s a house of worship. It’s not a battlefield. We never ask them whether they are Muslim or not, because everyone is welcome.”
At the same conference, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the attack, saying, “No one in our city should live in fear because of their identity, their faith or their place of learning.”
“Hate has no home in San Diego. Islamophobia has no home in San Diego. We will not stand for it."
In an official statement released after the tragedy, the center described the incident as “an extremely painful and traumatic day” for the congregation, students, and staff members.
Officials also confirmed that all evacuated students were safely reunited with their parents.
As the investigation remains ongoing, both the mosque and the school within the compound will remain closed until further notice.
“This is absolutely devastating. Nobody should ever have to fear for their lives while attending a place of worship…” one netizen wrote online
