Family of teen behind mosque rampage breaks silence. 'We condemn these hateful and violent actions'

Teri Figueroa, The San Diego Union-Tribune on May 22, 2026

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SAN DIEGO — The parents of Caleb Vazquez, one of two teens who killed three people in a hate-fueled rampage at San Diego’s largest mosque this week, broke their silence Thursday, issuing a statement mourning the victims and condemning their son’s actions as those of “an immensely lost, troubled, and misguided soul.”

“We want to begin by acknowledging that nothing we say or do could ever repair the damage his actions have caused,” reads the lengthy statement from the Vazquez family. “We are completely heartbroken and devastated by what has happened. We condemn these hateful and violent actions entirely.”

In January 2025, Chula Vista police pointed to Vazquez’s behavior in their bid for a court order to take guns from his father, The New York Times reported Thursday. One officer wrote in a court filing that Vazquez had been “involved in suspicious behavior idolizing nazis and mass shooters.”

The outlet also said court documents indicate the teen had at some point been placed in an involuntary psychiatric hold.

Police said Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17, arrived at the Islamic Center of San Diego about 11:43 a.m. Monday, armed and wearing camouflage. They killed a security guard during a gunbattle, then cornered and killed two congregants before fleeing. They shot at a landscaper a few blocks away, then drove a few more blocks before stopping in the middle of the road and killing themselves, according to police.

Authorities are investigating the shootings as a hate crime. Police Chief Scott Wahl has said the younger teen left a note, and there was “generalized hate rhetoric” involved, but he did not go into further detail. Authorities have also recovered a manifesto.

The court order was filed against Vazquez’s father, Marco Vazquez. According to The New York Times, court documents indicate he and his wife had 26 guns. The outlet also said the father wrote in court documents that the weapons were put in storage and would not return to the home “until my wife, my son’s therapist and I believe it is safe to do so.”

Authorities searched three homes associated with the teens this week and seized 30 firearms — pistols, rifles, shotguns — from two locations, as well as a crossbow, tactical gear and ammunition. They did not say which homes they took weapons from. It’s unclear where the weapons used in the mosque shooting came from; police said Clark had taken guns from his home when he went missing the morning of the shooting.

The statement from the Vazquez family, provided through attorney Colin Rudolph, acknowledged victims Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, and condemned the shooting.

“The pain inflicted upon this community is immeasurable,” the family said. “... We stand with you, with the community, and with the Muslim community as a whole. No statement can undo that pain, and no apology could ever be enough.”

The family statement said Vazquez was on the autism spectrum, and “it is painfully clear to us now that he struggled not only with accepting parts of his own identity but also grew to resent them.”

“We believe this, combined with exposure to hateful rhetoric, extremist content, and propaganda spread across parts of the internet, social media, and other online platforms, contributed to his descent into radicalized ideologies and violent beliefs.”

“Although measures were taken to help him through his mental instability, it ultimately was not enough,” they said, adding that they repeatedly encouraged him to seek help and that he voluntarily spent time in multiple rehabilitation centers.

Clark’s parents have not responded to requests for comment.

Two hours before the teens arrived at the Islamic Center on Monday, Clark’s mother had called authorities and reported that her son had run away and taken guns and her car. He was also with a companion, and both were dressed in camouflage, she had reported. As police — sensing a greater public threat — searched for the pair, calls came in reporting shootings at the mosque.

“We can only pray that (Caleb’s) actions and words do not inspire or incite further hatred or violence toward any community,” the Vazquez family statement said.

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