In brief
Last week a teenager from North Carolina was arrested after prosecutors say she streamed a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and helped another teen plan the attack. Three people were killed and the attackers later committed suicide. The girl faces three murder charges and a conspiracy count. Officials note the shooters recorded the assault on GoPro‑style helmets and had planned further hate attacks. A security guard who defended the mosque was killed, and his actions were hailed as heroic. The case draws attention to the role of social media in modern hate crimes.
A 17‑year‑old girl from North Carolina has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting after a video of the San Diego mosque attack was shared online. The shoot‑up, carried out by two teens, killed three people and ended with the attackers taking their own lives.
Prosecutors say the girl not only livestreamed the assault but also posted a manifesto from the two teenage gunmen. “They wanted to kill as many people as possible and record the carnage,” said District Attorney Jim O’Neill.
The case brings the growing use of social‑media platforms into sharp focus: the shooters recorded the attack with GoPro‑style helmets and had plans to target a local Jewish temple and an African‑American high school. The teens had roughly 30 guns and a crossbow, all taken from a parent’s house.
Security guard Amin Abdullah exchanged gunfire with the attackers and helped lock down the mosque, protecting about 140 children inside. His heroism was praised by police chief Scott Wahl.
Authorities are also investigating a white‑supremacist manifesto found among the shooters’ writings, which drew inspiration from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.
The 17‑year‑old now faces three murder counts and one conspiracy charge, with prosecutors warning that her actions could have led to far more deadly outcomes in the future.
