‘It doesn’t feel real’: witnesses describe shock and disbelief after San Diego mosque attack

Event overview

3 killed in shooting at San Diego mosque, 2 suspects found dead

Updated 23 hours ago
Washington Times
The Hill
NBC News
Associated Press
Reuters
24 articles13 sources
Multiple perspectives

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing three men before both suspects died by suicide. Police say the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. The victims included a security guard. Witnesses describe shock and disbelief. Investigators are reviewing footage livestreamed during the attack, and authorities say they are pursuing a possible hate-crime motive. The incident prompted a mass-casualty response and a lockdown around the mosque. Some reports identify the shooters as Cain Clark and Caleb Velasquez, while others reference two teenage suspects. Police say three men were killed and two shooters died. Details on motive and sequence remain under investigation, with varying timelines across outlets.

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Original reporting (24)
3 men have been killed at a San Diego mosque and both suspects are dead, police say
Washington Times
Washington Times
Leaning right
5/18/2026

San Diego police say they are responding to an active shooter at a local mosque

SAN DIEGO — Three men were killed in a shooting at a San Diego mosque Monday and both suspects are dead, police said. Both suspects are believed to be teens and the case is considered to be a hate crime, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a news conference. The shooting happened at the Islamic Center of San.

3 killed in shooting at San Diego mosque, 2 suspects found dead
The Hill
The Hill
Balanced
5/18/2026

3 killed in shooting at San Diego mosque, 2 suspects found dead

Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the county's largest mosque. Two suspects in the shooting are dead, police confirmed.

Three adults dead in shooting at San Diego Islamic Center, police chief says
NBC News
NBC News
Leaning left
5/18/2026

Three adults dead in shooting at San Diego Islamic Center, police chief says

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl announced five people were killed at the Islamic Center of San Diego, including two suspected shooters and three adults. Wahl added that school teachers, students and staff are safe.

Two men embrace at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Associated Press5/18/2026

Shooting at San Diego mosque kills 3 men and both suspects are dead, police say

A shooting at a San Diego mosque on Monday killed three men, and two teenage suspects are also dead, the police chief said. San Diego police are responding to an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Officer Anthony Carrasco says they believe people have been shot. The two suspects in a Monday shooting at.

Women hug as they wait for the children to walk out of the mosque, at a collecting area, at the scene of a shooting at the Islamic Center in San Diego, California, U.S., May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Reuters
Reuters
Balanced
5/18/2026

Five dead, including two suspects, after shooting at San Diego mosque

Reporting by Mike Blake in San Diego; Additional reporting ​by Matt Silverstein in San Diego; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rosalba O'Brien, Cynthia Osterman and Edwina Gibbs Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust.

Teenage gunmen open fire on Islamic Center of San Diego, police say
PBS NewsHour
PBS NewsHour
Leaning left
5/18/2026

Teenage gunmen open fire on Islamic Center of San Diego, police say

An attack at an Islamic center in San Diego has left several people dead. Police officials say three adult males were killed, including a security guard. They also say the two teenage suspects, believed to be 17 and 19, were later found dead, apparently from self-inflicted gunshots. Investigators say they're treating.

Three killed in attack at San Diego Islamic centre in suspected hate crime
France 24
France 24
Leaning left
5/18/2026

Three killed in attack at San Diego Islamic centre in suspected hate crime

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at an Islamic centre in San Diego on Monday, killing three men before taking their own lives nearby, police said. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime, with officials saying a mosque security guard likely prevented further casualties.

Five dead, including two suspects, after shooting at San Diego mosque
France 24
France 24
Leaning left
5/18/2026

Five dead, including two suspects, after shooting at San Diego mosque

Two teenage gunman opened fire on Monday ​at ‌the Islamic Center of San Diego in California, killing three ⁠men outside the mosque, one of them a security guard, before the two suspects were found dead, ‌apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said. FRANCE 24's Wassim Cornet reports from Los Angeles.

Law enforcement officers escort people away from the Islamic Center of San Diego after reports of a shooting on May 18, 2026 in San Diego, CA.
BBC News
BBC News
Leaning left
5/19/2026

Three killed in suspected hate crime at San Diego mosque

Two teenage attackers fatally shot three men at a mosque in San Diego, California, in a suspected hate crime, before taking their own lives, say police. The assault took place on Monday morning as officers were investigating a call about a possibly suicidal teen who had run away from home. Police were alerted to the.

Deadly shooting at San Diego Islamic center
NBC News
NBC News
Leaning left
5/19/2026

Deadly shooting at San Diego Islamic center

Police said two teenage gunmen opened fire at a San Diego Islamic center, killing three people, including a security guard. Authorities said the gunmen later killed themselves. NBC News' Morgan Chesky reports.

San Diego mosque shooter, Cain Clark identified as former high school wrestler
New York Post
New York Post
Leaning right
5/19/2026

San Diego mosque shooter, Cain Clark identified as former high school wrestler

See more of our coverage in your search results. The alleged gunmen in a shooting rampage that left three people dead outside a San Diego mosque have been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez, according to a law enforcement source. At least one of the suspects took a weapon from their.

Two teen gunmen kill three at San Diego mosque in suspected hate crime
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Leaning left
5/19/2026

Two teen gunmen kill three at San Diego mosque in suspected hate crime

Two teen gunmen kill three at San Diego mosque in suspected hate crime.

What we know about the San Diego shooting victims, suspects, possible motive and more
NBC News
NBC News
Leaning left
5/19/2026

What we know about the San Diego shooting victims, suspects, possible motive and more

Two teenage gunmen are believed to have killed three people at a San Diego mosque Monday before they took their own lives, authorities said. Investigators are working to determine a motive, but the San Diego police chief said the violence was being investigated as a possible hate crime. Chief Scott Wahl said the event.

Two men embrace at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Associated Press5/19/2026

Teenage gunmen open fire on San Diego mosque, killing 3 men and then themselves

A shooting at a San Diego mosque on Monday killed three men, and two teenage suspects are also dead, the police chief said. San Diego police are responding to an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Officer Anthony Carrasco says they believe people have been shot. The two suspects in a Monday shooting at.

Terrifying moment small children evacuated from San Diego mosque amid shooting
New York Post
New York Post
Leaning right
5/19/2026

Terrifying moment small children evacuated from San Diego mosque amid shooting

See more of our coverage in your search results. Terrifying video shows small children being evacuated from the Islamic Center of San Diego – as two camouflaged teen gunmen went about their rampage. Aerial footage showed more than a dozen kids – who looked no older than 5 years old – walking in a single file Monday as.

San Diego mosque shooting: What we know about the victims and the attackers
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Leaning left
5/19/2026

San Diego mosque shooting: What we know about the victims and the attackers

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at a mosque in San Diego on Monday, killing three men before later killing themselves, according to police. Authorities said the attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is being investigated as a possible hate crime. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters that investigators.

Three dead in San Diego shooting as police investigate possible hate crime
France 24
France 24
Leaning left
5/19/2026

Three dead in San Diego shooting as police investigate possible hate crime

Police were investigating a shooting in the US state of California as a hate crime on May 19 after a pair of teenage gunmen killed three people at a mosque complex. A security guard at the Islamic center is among the three victims, with authorities saying that his response had helped prevent a deadlier attack. FrANCE.

Deadly attack by teen gunmen on a San Diego mosque
France 24
France 24
Leaning left
5/19/2026

Deadly attack by teen gunmen on a San Diego mosque

Police raced Monday to catch an armed teenage runaway before he and another teen opened fire on a San Diego mosque, killing three men and then themselves. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.

Cops were already hunting San Diego mosque shooters after mom raised alarm that one was armed and suicidal
New York Post
New York Post
Leaning right
5/19/2026

Cops were already hunting San Diego mosque shooters after mom raised alarm that one was armed and suicidal

See more of our coverage in your search results. The concerned mom of one of the teen San Diego mosque shooters had frantically alerted cops that her suicidal son had run away in camo and with some of her weapons — sparking a huge hunt in the hours before the bloodshed unfolded. Police spent two hours scrambling to.

San Diego shooting: What to know about the teen suspects
ABC News
ABC News
Leaning left
5/19/2026

What to know about the San Diego Islamic Center shooting suspects

Two suspects, aged 17 and 18, were reported dead, police said. Three men, one of whom was a security guard, were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, authorities said, with investigators saying they are currently considering the incident as a hate crime. Two suspects, aged 17 and 18, were.

Alleged shooters in Islamic Center of San Diego attack identified as Cain Clark and Caleb Velasquez: report
Fox News
Fox News
Strongly right
5/19/2026

Alleged shooters in Islamic Center of San Diego attack identified as Cain Clark and Caleb Velasquez: report

Former Assistant FBI Director Chris Swecker discusses the San Diego mosque shooting, noting the suspect's mother reported missing guns before the attack. Swecker highlights the 533% rise in house of worship attacks since 2000, and praises the security guard who fought back, likely preventing more deaths in the hate.

‘It doesn’t feel real’: witnesses describe shock and disbelief after San Diego mosque attack
The Guardian US
The Guardian US
Leaning left
5/19/2026

‘It doesn’t feel real’: witnesses describe shock and disbelief after San Diego mosque attack

Friends, family and strangers are reeling after latest mass shooting, an attack being investigated as hate crime M aya, 13, stood just beyond the yellow police tape, watching as waves of heavily armed police officers locked down the area around the mosque. Hours before, three people had been shot and killed at the.

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A shooter slumped in the driver's seat of a car, with a handgun and shotgun shells visible, Image 2 shows First-person view of a shooter holding a rifle, aiming into a building with black and white striped floor mats, Image 3 shows Cain Clark, a high school wrestler, wearing a medal
New York Post
New York Post
Leaning right
5/19/2026

San Diego mosque shooters livestreamed deadly attack as FBI probes footage

See more of our coverage in your search results. The FBI is investigating footage the San Diego mosque shooters livestreamed during their brutal attack on an Islamic Center, sources told The Post. The horrifying footage is spreading across social media, it shows the terror as it unfolded and the eventual suicide of.

Exclusive | Cain Clark’s neighbor reveals haunting encounter with San Diego mosque shooter day before deadly rampage
New York Post
New York Post
Leaning right
5/19/2026

Cain Clark’s neighbor reveals haunting encounter with San Diego mosque shooter day before deadly rampage

See more of our coverage in your search results. A neighbor of one of the teenage killers whose shooting rampage left three people dead at a San Diego Islamic center described a chilling encounter with the suspect a day before the heinous attack. Jennifer Du, who lives across the street from Cain Clark, recalled.