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A 17-year-old from North Carolina has been charged with assisting and encouraging murder, following her alleged role in the San Diego mosque shooting. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill revealed that Sarah L. Santiago faces three murder charges and one conspiracy charge. She reportedly livestreamed the fatal event and shared the attackers’ manifesto despite being across the country during the May 18 incident.
Authorities identified Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, as the individuals who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego. The assailants killed three men, Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad, and Mansour Kaziha, who tried to stop the violence. Both attackers reportedly died by suicide nearby.
The indictment accuses Santiago of agreeing to record and distribute the gunmen’s actions and publish their manifesto ahead of the attack. She allegedly purchased a white-supremacist symbol patch for one of the attackers. Despite being in a different state, Santiago faces charges due to North Carolina’s laws allowing trial as an adult for individuals her age.
The investigation involved over 100 interviews, around 30 search warrants, and an examination of more than 4 million messages. Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Charlotte, mentioned that Santiago had chances to report the plan to the authorities and her failure to do so warranted consequences.
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