A 17-year-old girl from North Carolina has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting after allegedly recording a livestream of the deadly San Diego mosque shooting and sharing the attackers’ manifesto.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced that Sarah L. Santiago, identified in court records, was indicted on three murder counts and one conspiracy count. Despite being across the country during the attack on May 18, Santiago allegedly recorded the attackers’ livestream and distributed their manifesto.
Details of the Attack
The attackers, Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, stormed the Islamic Center of San Diego with the intent to kill. Authorities stated they killed three men, Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad, and Mansour Kaziha, who attempted to stop further violence. After the attack, the gunmen died by suicide in a nearby vehicle.
Authorities explained that the mosque was part of a broader plan that included potential attacks on a local Jewish temple and a predominantly African-American high school.
Role of Sarah Santiago
Indictment documents allege Santiago agreed to record and distribute the livestream and publish the manifesto before the attack. She is also accused of purchasing a patch with a white supremacist symbol for one of the attackers to wear during the shootings.
O’Neill stated Santiago could face charges in North Carolina despite not being present in California.
She didn’t have to be in California; she’s in our jurisdiction,
O’Neill said. He noted that state law allows a 17-year-old accused of such conduct to be treated as an adult.
Investigation Efforts
The FBI reported conducting over 100 interviews, issuing more than 30 search warrants, and reviewing over 4 million messages as part of a broader investigation.
FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis mentioned that Santiago had multiple opportunities to inform law enforcement but chose not to, resulting in legal consequences.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Writer
Sophia Compton, a writer at Fox News Digital, previously covered business-related topics and has experience in TV news production. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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