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Parents Sue San Diego Mental Health Provider After Mosque Shooter Left Facility Night Before Attack

The claim raises fresh questions about how voluntary residential programs monitor high‑risk patients.

Overview

  • Three people were killed in the May 18, 2026, shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center and authorities say both suspects died by suicide in a nearby car.
  • The parents of 18‑year‑old Caleb Vazquez filed a negligence suit on Aug. 31, 2026, saying he went missing from a Park Mental Health residential program the night before the attack.
  • The lawsuit says staff were warned by the FBI days earlier that Vazquez had discussed school shootings and suicide online, a claim Park Mental Health disputes while noting it operates voluntary, nonlocked housing.
  • Records and reporting show prior red flags in 2025, including school reports of violent talk, a 72‑hour psychiatric hold and a temporary gun‑violence restraining order that was later rescinded.
  • Prosecutors separately indicted a 17‑year‑old in North Carolina on Aug. 31 for allegedly live‑streaming and conspiring in the attack, and the civil and criminal actions could prompt reviews of treatment oversight and notification practices.