The suspected gunmen involved in a shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of three persons outside a mosque in San Diego have been named as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez, NY Post reported, citing law enforcement source.
At least one of the suspects retrieved a firearm from their parents’ residence and left behind a suicide note expressing sentiments of racial pride, according to information provided to The Post by a law enforcement source.
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Cain Clark’s grandfather expresses shock
Clark was a student at Madison High School and excelled as a wrestler, as indicated by the school’s social media account.
His grandfather, David Clark, aged 78, stated, ”We’re very sorry for what happened. We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”
Clark and Velasquez were discovered dead within a BMW due to self-inflicted gunshot wounds, located just a few blocks away from the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Anti-Islamic writings found
Anti-Islamic notes were found in the suspects’ vehicle, and “hate speech” was inscribed on the firearms utilized in the shooting, source told The Post.
A shotgun and a gas can featuring an “SS” sticker on the side were found at the location where the bodies of the gunmen were discovered.
The “SS” sticker is believed to symbolize the Schutzstaffel, the paramilitary group led by Heinrich Himmler during Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime in Germany.
Mother report to police about potential danger
Authorities disclosed that at approximately 9:42 a.m., they received a report regarding a runaway juvenile from a worried mother.
Following a conversation with the mother, law enforcement began to raise the threat level concerning the potential danger the individual posed to the community.
The mother allegedly expressed concerns that her son was suicidal and said that several of her firearms were missing, along with her vehicle, as per police reports.
Additionally, the mother mentioned that her son was accompanied by a friend and that both were attired in camouflage.
Law enforcement did not specify whether the missing individual was connected to the shooting incident.
3 shooting victims identified
The three deceased persons at the mosque included Amin Abdullah, a security guard and father of eight, who police claim helped prevent further casualties, along with a grocery store owner and another man.
The two suspects escaped in a white BMW, as stated by police during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
Authorities reported that officers arrived at the Islamic Center within four minutes of the initial emergency calls, initiating what police characterized as a rapid and “dynamic” response.
Between 50 and 100 officers entered the Islamic Center during this response, as police conducted searches of classrooms, prayer areas, and nearby buildings.
The probe is still ongoing, and authorities have not yet disclosed a motive; however, the gunmen had etched anti-Islamic messages onto their weapons, and one of them left a suicide note advocating for “racial pride.”
