A Winston-Salem teenager has been indicted on three counts of murder in a mass shooting at a San Diego mosque that killed three people. A Forsyth County grand jury returned the indictment on Monday against the 17-year-old girl, who authorities say recorded the attacker’s livestream and shared their writings.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said the teen was charged with murder by aiding and abetting. Under North Carolina law, the charge carries the same penalties as committing the attack. She was also charged with one count of conspiracy.
O’Neill said the girl was arrested the week before the indictment. Her name was not released at the Monday news conference.
What happened at the San Diego mosque
The shooting happened on May 18 at the Islamic Center of San Diego, prosecutors said. Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, stormed the building during an event with about 140 children nearby. A security guard exchanged gunfire with the pair and initiated a lockdown, pushing them back outside.
The attackers killed security guard Amin Abdullah and two other men before taking their own lives in a nearby vehicle. They left behind writings that cited the shooter who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
The teen’s alleged role
O’Neill said the 17-year-old recorded the livestream of the shooting and shared it. “The individual here, locally, was the person who was recording the livestream,” O’Neill said. “She disseminated that information, and she published their manifesto.”
The grand jury indicted the girl on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. No other arrests have been announced in the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.
What comes next in the case
An indictment means a grand jury found enough evidence to move the case to trial. Because the defendant is 17, the case will proceed under North Carolina’s juvenile court system, which in serious cases can transfer defendants to superior court for adult sentencing. The teen faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged, though proceedings will follow the standard court process.
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