By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• The FBI said two teenagers who killed three people in an attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego met online and were radicalized before the shooting, agency officials reported.
• Writings recovered from the suspects expressed broad hatred toward multiple groups including Muslims and Jewish people, authorities said.
• Investigators found at least 30 firearms, ammunition and a crossbow at locations linked to the suspects, FBI officials added.
• The shootings occurred May 18 and left three men dead; the suspects were later found deceased from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
• The FBI continues to assist local law enforcement and is investigating the extent of planning and motive.
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — The FBI said Tuesday that the two teenagers who fatally shot three people during an attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego had met online and shared extremist views, according to officials speaking at a news conference.
Authorities said the pair were radicalized in online spaces where they first connected and developed broad hate-filled views that were reflected in writings recovered by investigators. The documents included hateful rhetoric directed at Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, as well as other groups, the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said.
Investigators also located at least 30 firearms, ammunition and a crossbow at two residences connected to the suspects, and were working to determine whether the attackers had broader plans, Remily added.
The shootings occurred on May 18 at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three men were killed; law enforcement later found the suspects dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to police.
Local leaders and advocacy groups have noted rising threats against houses of worship and religious communities nationwide while investigators, including federal partners, continue reviewing evidence and interviewing associates of the suspects.