Police Raid Home of Mosque Shooting Suspect
On Friday, the San Diego police conducted a significant operation at the residence of Caleb Vasquez, the suspected shooter connected to a mosque attack. The neighborhood quickly transformed into a sprawling crime scene, with detectives gathering various pieces of evidence packed in boxes and bags.
Video footage shared by a local outlet revealed officers spraying water across the driveway and front sidewalk of Vasquez’s two-story home in San Diego County. Some officers stood watch while others seemed to be coming and going from the house.
At one point, a woman thought to be Vasquez’s mother, Liliana, appeared at the door, though authorities have not officially confirmed her identity. Detectives could be seen carrying brown paper evidence bags and loading them into the trunk of a marked patrol vehicle as part of the ongoing investigation.
Shortly after, a black Acura, likely carrying people believed to be Vasquez’s parents, was seen leaving the scene while police continued their work at the property.
This raid comes in the wake of a tragic incident at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, where 18-year-old Vasquez, along with 17-year-old Kane Clark, is accused of opening fire and taking the lives of three community members: Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad.
On Thursday, the victims were laid to rest in a large funeral service attended by mourning families and members of the local Muslim community.
Alarming footage, purportedly livestreamed shortly after the attack, shows Vasquez sitting in a white BMW—the getaway vehicle for the suspects.
A drive recorder in the car captured the duo fleeing the scene. Reports indicate that Vasquez urged Clark to “shoot him in the head,” according to court documents examined by officials.
Further court filings reveal that Vasquez had previously been subjected to a gun violence restraining order, stemming from concerns about his admiration for Nazis and mass shooters, as well as other suspicious activities.
Authorities had visited the family home last year to question Vasquez’s father, Marco, about any firearms present. He confirmed owning guns but insisted they were safely stored in a locked closet, inaccessible to anyone else in the house.
Officers sought permission to inspect this storage area, but Marco Vazquez declined, citing his Fourth Amendment rights. Later, both he and his son were placed under a gun violence restraining order.
According to court documents, Marco Vazquez had 12 firearms registered in his name. The inability of officers to verify the safe storage of these weapons contributed to the issuance of the order.
Before the restraining order took effect, Marco stated that he had discussed the situation with his wife and voluntarily removed all guns, ammunition, and related items from their home, even securing a knife as an additional precaution.
The firearm had been transferred to a federally licensed dealer for safekeeping, based on his court filing.
Following this, he submitted transfer papers to the police; however, the restraining order was still sent to him at the station.
In a statement released through attorney Colin Rudolph, the Vasquez family mentioned that the 18-year-old was on the autism spectrum and had become influenced by troubling online rhetoric.
The family expressed their struggle to comprehend the horrific acts committed by their son against the San Diego Islamic Center community and stated they are “absolutely heartbroken and devastated,” firmly condemning the violence.
