Caleb Vazquez Cain Clark And

Mass Murderer

Caleb Liam Vazquez and Cain Lee Clark: The 2026 Islamic Center of San Diego Mass Shooting

Overview of the Attack

On May 18, 2026, 18-year-old Caleb Liam Vazquez and 17-year-old Cain Lee Clark carried out a deadly, apparently premeditated attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego, California. The Islamic Center was not only a mosque but also a community gathering place and the location of a school. Approximately 140 children were inside the complex when the gunmen arrived. Authorities said Vazquez and Clark had met through the internet and developed a relationship around shared extremist beliefs. Investigators found writings attributed to the teenagers that expressed white-supremacist, neo-Nazi and anti-Muslim views, along with hostility toward several other racial, religious and social groups. The FBI concluded that the pair appeared to have been radicalized through online communities where mass violence and extremist ideologies were praised. The two teenagers arrived at the Islamic Center armed with multiple firearms and wearing tactical clothing. Police said the weapons used or carried during the attack included rifles, a handgun and a shotgun. Some of the guns were reportedly taken from homes connected to the teenagers. The attackers also recorded portions of their actions, although no video is included here.

The Shooting at the Islamic Center

The assault began at approximately 11:43 a.m. on May 18. Vazquez and Clark approached the Islamic Center and entered or attempted to enter its lobby while the school was in session. Their apparent objective was to move farther into the building, where children, teachers, staff members and worshippers had gathered. Amin Abdullah, the mosque's 51-year-old security guard, quickly recognized the danger and confronted the armed teenagers. Abdullah had worked at the Islamic Center for approximately a decade and was responsible for protecting the people who used the complex. He exchanged gunfire with the attackers and used his radio to order an immediate lockdown. Abdullah's warning allowed teachers and staff members to secure classrooms and move children away from the danger. Although Abdullah was wounded, he continued firing and forced the gunmen back outside. Vazquez and Clark then fatally shot him in the parking lot. Authorities later stated that his resistance delayed the attackers and prevented them from reaching the children. The gunmen returned to the building and searched rooms that had already been cleared or locked down. They eventually moved back outside, where they encountered two additional members of the Islamic Center community, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad. Kaziha, a 78-year-old founding member and longtime caretaker of the center, managed to call 911 as the attack unfolded. He and Awad attempted to intervene or draw the gunmen away from the occupied portions of the complex. Both men were shot and killed outside the mosque.

Victims of the May 18, 2026 Attack

• Amin Abdullah, 51 Killed on May 18, 2026, at the Islamic Center of San Diego in San Diego, California. Abdullah was the center's longtime security guard and a father of eight. He confronted the attackers, exchanged gunfire with them and ordered the school into lockdown before he was fatally shot in the parking lot.
• Mansour Kaziha, 78 Killed on May 18, 2026, outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Known within the community as Abu Ezz, Kaziha was a founding member, caretaker, handyman, cook and storekeeper who had served the center since the 1980s. He called 911 and confronted the danger before being shot.
• Nadir Awad, 57 Killed on May 18, 2026, outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Awad lived across the street and regularly attended the mosque. His wife worked as a teacher at the center's school. After hearing the gunfire, he ran toward the mosque to help and was fatally shot.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Amin Abdullah 51 yr old Male

Islamic Center of San Diego shooting: Teenage suspect ...