A 17-year-old North Carolina woman has been charged with murder in connection with a mass shooting at a mosque in San Diego earlier this year, authorities announced Monday. Sarah Santiago of Forsyth County was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy related to the May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three people were killed.
Santiago, who was arrested last week and is being prosecuted as an adult, played a central role in coordinating the livestream of the shooting, according to Jim O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney. The two gunmen, Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, wore helmet-mounted GoPro cameras to record the attack, which Santiago reportedly helped disseminate online. The authorities said she also posted writings authored by the shooters and purchased a Nazi symbol patch that Vazquez wore during the attack.
Although Santiago never met the two men in person, she communicated with them through online platforms described by prosecutors as echo chambers of hate. The planned attack, which was investigated as a hate crime, escalated concerns about rising Islamophobia in the United States. Clark and Vazquez were later found dead in their vehicle, which contained anti-Islamic writings, after the shooting.
The victims were identified as Amir Abdullah, a mosque security guard; Mansour Kazhia, a store manager at the mosque; and Nadir Awad, a community member and neighbor. Authorities revealed that the trio had also conspired to attack a synagogue and a high school with African-American students on the same day, though those planned attacks were not carried out.
District Attorney O’Neill acknowledged the unusual nature of prosecuting Santiago for crimes committed in a different state, emphasizing that although she was not physically present at the mosque, her actions in North Carolina directly contributed to the killings. If convicted of first-degree murder, Santiago could face life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 25 years.
Santiago’s lawyer, Alan Doorasamy, issued a statement asserting her innocence and describing the case as a tragedy affecting victims, families, and communities nationwide. Doorasamy also highlighted broader issues related to youth, social media, and mental health.
The indictment comes amid increased security concerns for religious institutions nationwide, following a rise in threats and violence linked in part to tensions in the Middle East. The Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the county, includes a school and attracts worshippers from across the globe.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described Santiago’s indictment as a significant step toward accountability. He stressed that American Muslims should not live in fear when attending mosques or community gatherings.
Authorities continue to investigate the motives and online communications that fueled the attack, with O’Neill expressing alarm about the accessibility of extremist content to young people fueled by hate. The case underscores ongoing challenges in addressing violent extremism propagated through social media platforms.