North Carolina Teen Faces Murder Charge for Assisting San Diego Mosque Shooting

By Staff, Agencies

A 17-year-old girl in North Carolina has been charged with murder for aiding and abetting a deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego, California, after authorities said she livestreamed the attack and shared white supremacist material produced by the perpetrators.

The teenager, whose identity has not been released because she is a minor, was arrested last week and formally indicted by a grand jury on Monday, according to Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill.

O’Neill said authorities were concerned about the possibility of further violence and did not want the teenager returning to school or remaining in the community as upcoming religious holidays approached. Investigators said the attackers had planned additional attacks, including against a synagogue.

Under North Carolina law, O’Neill explained, anyone who knowingly assists another person in committing a crime can be held responsible for the offense as though they had personally carried out the criminal acts.

Authorities identified the two gunmen as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez. The pair attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18.

A security guard exchanged gunfire with the attackers and initiated a lockdown, helping protect approximately 140 children inside the mosque.

Police said the gunmen killed the security guard, Amin Abdullah, as well as worshippers Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad. The two attackers later died by suicide in a vehicle nearby.

According to O’Neill, the shooting was livestreamed using GoPro cameras worn by the gunmen. Investigators also stated that the accused teenager helped distribute the attackers’ white supremacist writings.

Prosecutors said the suspects had intended to carry out a wider series of attacks. O’Neill said their plans included targeting a Jewish temple and a predominantly African American high school after the mosque shooting.

The case remains under investigation as authorities examine the teenager’s role in the attack and any connections she may have had with the perpetrators.