Teen attackers in San Diego Islamic Center shooting were wallowing in nihilistic hate, investigators say

The two teenagers who carried out a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday blamed Jews for the world’s ills and spewed a nihilistic mix of anti-Muslim, misogynistic, anti-Hispanic, anti-gay and anti-trans hate rhetoric, according to what the FBI calls a “manifesto” obtained by CBS News.

“These subjects did not discriminate in any way as to who they hated,” Mark Remily, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego field office, said at a news conference Tuesday.

The document, reviewed by CBS News, opens with an anti-Semitic rant, repeating the phrase “THESE ARE THE JEWS.” It also calls for a violent race war and references “accelerationism,” one of the most violent forms of white supremacist ideology that advocates the destruction of society.

The two men livestreamed their attack, which was reminiscent of the notorious 2019 shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people.

The video shows the teens wearing clothing with Nazi symbols resembling the “SS” insignia worn by Hitler’s paramilitary ranks, and etched with the words “Race War” on a handgun, one of the weapons used in the attack.

Oren Segal, senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence at the Anti-Defamation League, said the attackers wrote that they wanted to continue the legacy of the Christchurch shooter. “They called themselves, almost identified themselves, as the ‘sons’ of the shooter,” Segal said.

The document devotes sections to anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic, anti-trans and misogynistic speech. It is divided into two sections, one for each teenager. Both identify with the misogynistic incel movement, which has been linked to previous mass shootings. “Incel” is short for the phrase “involuntary celibacy.”

At one point there is a question and answer section, which includes: “Were/are you right-wing: depends on the definition.” Were/are you left-wing: it depends on the definition.

The teens are part of a growing trend of attacks motivated by what the FBI calls “nihilistic violent extremism,” which is a broad ideology combining multiple forms of hatred.

The so-called “manifesto” is 75 pages long and appears to be a compilation of writings that have been circulating in the darkest corners of the Internet for years, perhaps brought together with the help of AI. CBS News has not independently verified who created the document.

Authorities said they believe the two teens met online and discovered they both resided in the San Diego area before meeting in person.

A suicide note left by one of the gunmen, Cain Clark, 17, indicated that he was prepared to die for his heinous cause, according to a police source close to the investigation.

Clark had been a member of a local high school wrestling team. The other attacker, Caleb Vazquez, was 18 years old.

Investigators are reviewing evidence that indicates the teenagers were influenced by a litany of mass shooters, including the Christchurch attacker.

The teenagers recorded their attack on Monday and the gruesome 10-minute video was widely shared on a website where people post videos depicting extreme violence. CBS News has already reported about former mass shooters who spent time on the platform.

The video found by investigators was posted on a website that has been on the FBI’s radar amid a worrying trend of young people engaging in so-called “True Crime Community,” or TCC, a online movement that glorifies mass shooters and encourages violence and self-harm.

After carrying out the attack which cost the lives of three people, including a security guard who has been praised for saving countless others – the video shows Clark, dressed in camouflage, fatally shooting Vazquez before killing himself.

Authorities said the teens stored 30 guns and a crossbow, weapons taken from Clark’s parents.

Vazquez’s family released a statement Thursday saying in part: “We strongly oppose the ideology and actions that led to this tragedy. These actions do not reflect the values ​​with which we raised our family or the beliefs we hold in our hearts.”

An early warning

The first warning came around 9:40 a.m. when Clark’s mother called 911. She said she feared her son was suicidal after discovering several guns and his vehicle had been stolen. Her son, she said, was wearing camouflage clothing.

The information triggered a threat alert to local law enforcement, but there were no known specific targets, according to San Diego police.

Two hours later, the two teenagers opened fire on the mosque. They killed a security guard outside the entrance, then entered the facility, which houses a school attended by more than 100 children. The attackers began going door to door, but the guard, Amin Abdullah, had already issued a containment alert and the students were in another area of ​​the building.

Then, investigators say, the teens spotted two men in the parking lot through one of the windows. They came out of the mosque to target and kill them, then jumped into their vehicle and fled, shooting through the car window.

A few blocks away, Clark shot Vazquez and then himself.