San Diego mosque attacker idolized Nazis, court records show
One of the teens who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego had been flagged by police a year earlier for “idolizing Nazis and mass shooters.” Court documents reveal firearms were confiscated from 18‑year‑old Caleb Vazquez in 2025. The attack killed three before the suspects died from self‑inflicted wounds.
A teenager involved in the deadly assault on the Islamic Center of San Diego had been identified by police more than a year before the attack for “idolizing Nazis and mass shooters,” according to court documents cited by The New York Times. Police in Chula Vista, California, obtained a court order in January 2025 to seize firearms from the home of 18‑year‑old Caleb Vazquez after becoming alarmed by his behaviour. A police officer wrote in the protective order: “Child was involved in suspicious behavior idolizing Nazis and mass shooters.”
Prior warnings and investigation
Vazquez and 17‑year‑old Cain Clark attacked the mosque on Monday, killing three people before dying from self‑inflicted gunshot wounds. The Times reported that Vazquez had previously been placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold and had been on law enforcement’s radar for an extended period. The FBI had also been alerted to concerns about one of the teens and had an open inquiry within its threat‑monitoring system. Investigators recovered a document written by the suspects outlining extremist beliefs and a vision of a racially and religiously exclusive society.
Hate crime investigation
Police said the two suspects met online and shared racist and extremist views targeting multiple racial and religious groups. The attack, which targeted San Diego’s largest mosque, is being investigated as a hate crime.
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