Rare Two-man Team in White Supremacist Accelerationist Attack on The Islamic Center of San Diego: Brenton Tarrant Copycat Symbology
- Jul 23
- 1 min read
C/O Futures Terrorism Research Note Series
Active (Mass Shooter) Response
Lisa J. Campbell and Pamela Ligouri Bunker
22 July 2026
On 18 May 2026, teenagers Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez carried out an active shooter attack at the San Diego Islamic Center, targeting adults and children from an adjacent Muslim school who were worshipping at the center’s Mosque. Unusual in that there were two perpetrators, the attack continues an emerging global trend of non-white White Supremacist/neo-Nazi violence. Both attackers left manifestos explaining their motivation for the shooting including—among a variety of related narratives—a response to ‘The Great Replacement,” a common far right conspiracy theory. Notably, the attack was live-streamed, emulating that of mass-shooter Brenton Tarrant, and the manifesto includes reference to “The Sons of Tarrant.” Significantly, still photos from the live-stream show that their gear and weapons contained text and symbology—another emerging trend among active shooters.
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