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Court Records Show Prior Gun-Restraint Effort and Warnings Before San Diego Mosque Shooting

Newly released filings and searches detail police efforts, parental steps and conflicting accounts about firearms that deepen questions about prevention and oversight.

Overview

  • Two teenagers are accused of opening fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego in May 2026, killing three worshippers and prompting a federal hate-crime probe and searches of the Vazquez family home.
  • Police sought a gun-violence restraining order in January 2025 after school officials and detectives reported that then-17-year-old Caleb Vazquez idolized mass shooters and Nazi imagery and was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold.
  • A temporary restraining order was granted but was rescinded and dismissed by San Diego Superior Court on March 11, 2025, court records show without a public explanation for the dismissal.
  • The Vazquez family says the father voluntarily moved firearms, ammunition and accessories to a licensed dealer and provided proof to police, while other filings and reports record conflicting counts of guns linked to the home and note limits on police access during welfare checks.
  • Investigators continue to collect evidence from the home and review court records and social-media material, and the case is raising sharper questions about how gun-violence restraining orders, family cooperation and early interventions can prevent radicalization and attacks.