Frantic Manhunt For Suicidal Teen Preceded Deadly CA Mosque Shooting, Police Say

SAN DIEGO, CA — Two teenage gunmen are believed to have killed three people in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that authorities are investigating as a hate crime.

The attack spanned several blocks and involved an intense citywide manhunt that began hours before the first shots were fired. On Tuesday, detectives continued to piece together the timeline for the killing spree while the community begins to grieve those killed and the peace shattered.

The gunfire was reported at 11:43 a.m. at the center at 7050 Eckstrom Ave. in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Officers arrived within four minutes and found three men dead outside the mosque, San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said. The suspects, believed to be 17 and 18 years old, were later found nearby and appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

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"This is a city and a community's absolute worst nightmare," Wahl said during a Monday afternoon news conference.

Officers received reports of an active shooter at about 11:43 a.m. and arrived at the center by 11:47 a.m. After finding the victims outside the building, police said officers immediately deployed into the Islamic Center and the adjacent school.

Police received additional calls at 11:52 a.m. reporting gunfire a couple of blocks away near the 7100 block of Salerno Street, where a landscaper was reportedly shot at. Wahl said the victim may have been shot in his helmet, which deflected the bullet and saved his life.

RELATED: San Diego Mosque Shooting: Victims, Heroes ID'd In Deadly Rampage That Killed 3

A few minutes later, officers were called to the 3800 block of Hatton Street, where they found the two teenage suspects dead inside a vehicle in the roadway, according to police.

The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and older, according to its website.

No children from the school or officers were injured in the shooting, police said.

Three law enforcement officials identified the suspects as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, according to NBC News.

Police said that one of the suspects had been reported as a runaway about two hours before gunfire erupted at the mosque.

San Diego police got their first call at 9:42 a.m. from the mother of the juvenile suspect, who said her son had gone missing, along with several of her weapons and her vehicle. The mother believed her son was suicidal. She said he was with a friend and they were dressed in camouflage.

Police began investigating the threat, but without any specific knowledge of a target, Wahl said.

"Those little bits of information were significant and important that triggered a much bigger threat assessment that began to bring additional investigators in to utilize the technology we have available to try to get out in front of what we feared would be coming," Wahl said.

Police used Automated License Plate Recognition technology to try and find the suspects. Police received ALPR alerts that the vehicle was near Fashion Valley mall and dispatched officers to the area.

It was also reported to police that one of the suspects was associated with Madison High School, about a mile from the center, so officers were dispatched to the area of the school.

It is now known that Clark was attending school virtually and was expected to graduate this month, NBC News reported. He never attended classes at Madison High School, but lived in the school's attendance zone and previously participated on the wrestling team.

As the incident unfolded, five nearby schools were placed on lockdowns that were later lifted. A reunification spot for people displaced by the shooting was established at the San Diego Clairemont Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 4125 Hathaway St.

The case was being investigated as a hate crime. Wahl said that "hate rhetoric" was involved.

"There was no specific threat to any facility or any place with what we knew," he said. "There was generalized hate rhetoric and speech."

Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the attack during the news conference.

"Hate has no home in San Diego. Islamophobia has no home in San Diego," Gloria said. "An attack on any San Diegan is an attack on all San Diegans, and we will not stand for it in America's Finest City."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its San Diego office also condemned the shooting.

"We strongly condemn this horrifying act of violence at the Islamic Center of San Diego," CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam said in a statement sent to Patch. "Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this attack. No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school. We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers."

The identities of the victims were not released, but a family friend identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, a well-known face at the mosque who had worked there for more than a decade.

"His actions were heroic," Wahl said during the news conference. "Undoubtedly, he saved lives today."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations launched an online fundraiser in support of Abdullah's family. As of Tuesday morning, more than $1.7 million had been raised.

CAIR confirmed the identity of Abdullah and also identified the other two community members who were killed in the shooting as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad.

Kaziha, known as Abu Ezz, was a community leader who managed the mosque's store for nearly four decades, according to CAIR. Awad also ushered people away from gunfire.

"These three protected children inside the center and school and there is no doubt that the casualties would have been much worse without their heroism," the San Diego muslim civil rights group said in a statement.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that his Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local law enforcement on responses to the shooting.

"California sends our deepest condolences to the families and communities impacted by today's shooting," Newsom said in a statement. "Worshippers anywhere should not have to fear for their lives. Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith."

The FBI was working with local police as the motive for the shooting remained under investigation.

"I want to thank our local law enforcement partners for their quick response that undoubtedly saved the additional loss of life," said Mark Remily, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office.

The FBI sought the public's help for information. Anyone with information was asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit FBI.gov.

"The FBI is meticulously assessing the situation and is prepared to employ every resource we have to uncover the facts of this incident," Remily said. "No community should have to go through such a tragic incident, but we will work tirelessly until we learn the truth."

Out of an abundance of caution, police were stepping up patrols at houses of worship across the city of San Diego, Gloria said. Deputies were also increasing patrols at houses of worship throughout the San Diego County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction.

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