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A 17-year-old girl from North Carolina is facing murder charges in connection with the deadly San Diego mosque shooting, after prosecutors alleged she recorded a livestream of the attack and circulated the attackers’ manifesto.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said Monday that the teenager, named in court records as Sarah L. Santiago, has been indicted on three counts of murder by aiding and abetting, along with one count of conspiracy, The Associated Press reported.
Authorities say Santiago was not in California when the May 18 shooting unfolded. Still, prosecutors allege she played a role from across the country by recording the attackers’ livestream, helping spread it online and posting their manifesto.
“She disseminated that information. And she published their manifesto,” O’Neill said.
People gather outside the Islamic Center of San Diego as police vehicles remain at the scene a day after a deadly shooting on May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, stormed the Islamic Center of San Diego armed and intending to kill people inside, according to authorities.
The gunmen killed three men — Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad and Mansour Kaziha — who confronted them and helped prevent further bloodshed.
The attackers later died by suicide in a vehicle nearby, police said.
Authorities said the mosque was one target in a broader attack plan.
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“Their plan that day was to commit mass murders not only at the mosque, but to follow up at a local Jewish temple. And finally, at a predominantly African-American high school there in town,” O’Neill said.
Candles bearing the names of victims are placed outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 20, 2026. (Ty O’Neil/AP Photo)
The indictment alleges Santiago agreed before the attack to record and distribute the gunmen’s livestream and publish their manifesto. She is also accused of buying a patch bearing a white-supremacist symbol for one of the attackers to wear during the shooting, The Associated Press reported.
O’Neill said Santiago could face charges in North Carolina even though she was not physically present in California.
“She didn’t have to be in California, she’s in our jurisdiction,” O’Neill said. “And today, a grand jury indicted her and held her responsible for her actions leading up to that disastrous day in May.”
O’Neill noted that North Carolina law allows a 17-year-old accused of such conduct to be treated as an adult.
A note attached to flowers is placed outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Authorities said the broader investigation has included more than 100 interviews, over 30 search warrants and a review of more than 4 million messages.
“Our investigation shows that the individual had multiple opportunities to come forward to law enforcement and alert us of these deliberate actions, and the failure to do so must have consequences,” FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis said.