A 17-year-old North Carolina girl has been indicted on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy for her alleged role in the May 18 shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which killed three men. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced Monday that a grand jury returned the indictment, charging the teen with murder by aiding and abetting under North Carolina law.
The girl, whose name has not been released, is accused of livestreaming the attack and disseminating the shooters’ manifesto, which contained white-supremacist rhetoric and references to other acts of extremist violence. Authorities allege she was aware of the shooters’ broader plans, including intended attacks on a local Jewish temple and a predominantly Black high school the same day. The shooters, Cain Clark (17) and Caleb Vazquez (18), died by suicide in a vehicle near the mosque after killing three men: Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad.
The attack unfolded when Clark and Vazquez stormed the Islamic Center, where Abdullah, a security guard and father of eight, engaged the gunmen in a firefight. His actions delayed the shooters and helped initiate a lockdown that protected 140 children inside the mosque, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. Kaziha and Awad, who attempted to lure the gunmen away, were also killed. Wahl described Abdullah’s intervention as critical in preventing greater casualties. “His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these two individuals,” Wahl stated.
The shooters’ manifesto, reviewed by multiple outlets, included antisemitic rhetoric, calls for a violent race war, and references to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter as an inspiration. The livestream was recorded using GoPro cameras worn by Clark and Vazquez. O’Neill emphasized that under North Carolina law, an individual who aids and abets a crime is guilty of that crime as if they had committed it themselves. The girl was arrested last week and indicted Monday, just before the start of the school year.
The case raises legal and ethical questions about accountability for digital complicity in violent acts. Prosecutors allege the teen’s actions extended beyond passive observation, asserting she shared the shooters’ criminal intent and failed to report the planned attack. The indictment follows an investigation into her social media activity, which authorities say linked her to far-right extremist communities. The girl remains in custody pending further proceedings.