FBI investigating deadly San Diego mosque attack as hate crime
Chris Swecker, a former Assistant Director of the FBI, has weighed in on the tragic shooting at a San Diego mosque. According to Swecker, the suspect’s mother reported her firearms missing prior to the attack. Highlighting the alarming trend, he mentioned that attacks on places of worship have surged by 533% since the year 2000. He also commended the brave actions of a security guard who intervened, potentially saving more lives during this hate crime.
As reported by the New York Post, the suspects involved in the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego have been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez, according to a source within law enforcement.
Tragically, the suspects were discovered deceased with what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle located a few blocks away from the mosque where the violence occurred.
“We’re deeply saddened by the events,” expressed David Clark, the 78-year-old grandfather of Cain Clark, in an interview with the Post. “We’re as shocked as everyone else. It’s unbelievable.”
Cain Clark, once a member of the wrestling team at Madison High School, had been continuing his education through iHigh Virtual Academy since 2021, as noted by a spokesperson from the San Diego Unified School District in a statement to Fox News Digital.
An image from social media shows Cain Clark, 17, participating in a school wrestling event. (Facebook / madison.warhawk.wrestling)
While a motive remains unclear, authorities said that the deadly shooting is being investigated as a hate crime after police say authorities uncovered evidence the suspects engaged in “hate rhetoric.”
One suspect’s mother had contacted authorities and reported her son missing roughly two hours before the deadly attack, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said Monday.
Authorities searched the home of a suspect in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (Gregory Bull/AP)
The situation escalated as the mother “began to piece together bits and pieces of information” and relayed them to investigators throughout the morning, according to Wahl, including that some of her firearms and her vehicle were missing.
“With this information, she believed her son was suicidal,” Wahl said during an evening news conference.
A body covered with a tarp lies at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18, 2026. (Gregory Bull/AP)
The search for the teen took on more urgency as police learned that he was dressed in camouflage and was with an acquaintance — facts that were not consistent with someone about to die by suicide, the chief said.
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