San Diego mosque shooting suspects’ writings reveal white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology, investigators say
The suspects, identified by authorities as teenagers Caleb Vazquez and Cain Clark, died by suicide after the shooting.
Investigators examining the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego say the teenage suspects behind the attack appeared to be heavily influenced by white supremacist and neo-Nazi extremist ideology spread through online communities.
According to authorities and experts cited by NBC News, the suspects allegedly produced a 75-page document filled with racist, antisemitic, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric before carrying out Monday’s attack, which left three people dead.
The suspects, identified by authorities as teenagers Caleb Vazquez and Cain Clark, died by suicide after the shooting. Investigators believe the two first connected online and may have livestreamed portions of the attack using body cameras, drawing disturbing parallels to the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Federal authorities are still authenticating the document, but officials say it contains explicit references to neo-Nazi ideology, Adolf Hitler and “accelerationism,” a violent white supremacist belief system that promotes societal collapse in pursuit of creating a white ethnostate.
“They didn’t discriminate on who they hated,” said FBI special agent Mark Remily during a press conference. He said the writings targeted multiple racial, religious and identity groups.
The Anti-Defamation League reviewed portions of the writings and described them as evidence of immersion in online extremist ecosystems fueled by nihilism and violent propaganda.
Experts on domestic extremism say the case reflects how digital platforms continue to accelerate radicalization among young people. Cynthia Miller-Idriss said the writings combined white supremacist ideology with misogynistic “incel” rhetoric and references to previous mass shootings.
“What I’m seeing here is a messy combination of ideological impulses, with accelerationist language that expresses a desire to be a heroic martyr that can inspire the actions of others, but also clear white supremacist and antisemitic ideas alongside deeply misogynist and incel references,” said Miller-Idriss, who studies domestic terrorism as a professor at American University in Washington, D.C.
The document reportedly praised perpetrators behind attacks in places including Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Orlando, as well as the Columbine High School massacre.
Investigators are continuing to examine how the suspects became radicalized and whether additional individuals may have been involved in spreading extremist content connected to the attack.
Community vigils have since been held across San Diego as local leaders and residents mourn the victims and condemn hate-driven violence.