North Carolina Teen Charged in San Diego Mosque Shooting

A 17-year-old girl from North Carolina has been charged with murder due to her involvement in a shooting at a San Diego mosque that resulted in three deaths. District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced that Sarah Lindsey Santiago recorded a livestream of the attack and circulated the attackers’ white-supremacist writings.

During a news conference in Winston-Salem, O’Neill shared that Santiago was arrested the previous week. A grand jury has indicted her on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy.

The charges for aiding and abetting in North Carolina are as severe as those for committing the crime itself, according to O’Neill.

Santiago’s actions included agreeing to record the attack and disseminate a manifesto written by the assailants. She also purchased and sent a white-supremacist symbol patch to be worn during the attack.

The shooting occurred on May 18 at the Islamic Center, resulting in the death of three individuals: security guard Amin Abdullah, center caretaker Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad. A security guard managed to drive back the attackers, Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, protecting many children within the center.

Following their attack, the perpetrators took their own lives in a nearby vehicle after leaving behind documents filled with extremist rhetoric. Their writings referenced the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand as an influence.

Their planned targets included a Jewish temple and a predominantly Black high school. O’Neill credited the mosque’s security for preventing further casualties.

Their beliefs reflected an extremist ideology that sees white people as being replaced. They expressed animosity toward various groups, including Jewish and Black communities, women, and political factions across the spectrum.

Caleb Vazquez’s family stated that he was on the autism spectrum and struggled with his identity. They attribute his radicalization to the influence of online hatred combined with personal challenges.