A teenage girl from North Carolina has been charged with murder through aiding and abetting in connection with an attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego on 18 May. According to prosecutors, the girl recorded a livestream of the assault and published a manifesto created by two teenage gunmen responsible for carrying out the attack. The girl was arrested last week and subsequently indicted by a grand jury on Monday, according to Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill.
The attack itself was perpetrated by two males, aged 17 and 18, who opened fire inside the mosque before taking their own lives. The violence resulted in three deaths: Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the mosque; Mansour Kaziha; and Nader Awad, both worshippers. Abdullah engaged the attackers in gunfire and initiated a lockdown that protected approximately 140 children inside the building. Police leadership subsequently praised Abdullah’s actions as heroic and credited him with saving lives.
The girl now faces three murder charges and one count of conspiracy. Under North Carolina law, individuals accused of aiding and abetting a crime can be held criminally responsible in the same manner as the person who committed the act. Prosecutors indicated that the two gunmen had deliberately sought to have their attack recorded and livestreamed as part of their objectives.
Investigators determined that the attackers used cameras mounted on helmet-style devices to record footage of the assault. Evidence suggests the pair had planned additional attacks at a local Jewish temple and a predominantly African American high school. Authorities recovered approximately 30 firearms and a crossbow at the scene, which were reportedly taken from one of the shooter’s parents. Documents recovered from the attackers contained racist and antisemitic views alongside references to white supremacist ideologies, and referenced a 2019 attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, as inspirational.
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