San Diego Mosque Shooter Dressed as Serial Killers at School
An 18-year-old suspect in a deadly Islamic Center shooting regularly dressed as notorious killers including the Columbine shooters, raising concerns among classmates before the attack.
Caleb Vazquez allegedly disturbed classmates and faculty at High Tech High in Chula Vista by appearing in costumes mimicking some of history’s most brutal mass killers, according to New York Post. The troubling pattern of behavior was documented in court filings by local authorities who had previously attempted to intervene.
A Chula Vista police detective outlined multiple incidents in a gun violence restraining order request filed in January, detailing Vazquez’s escalating obsession with mass violence and murderers. The teenager reportedly came to class dressed as the Columbine High School shooters and other notorious killers who carried out some of the world’s deadliest attacks.
In 2024, Vazquez also showed up to school dressed as Dexter, the fictional television serial killer. More recently, Detective Nicholas How noted in court filings that the suspect admitted to dressing similarly to Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Obsession With Mass Murderers
Court records show Vazquez had developed a fixation on multiple mass killers, including Patrick Crusius, who murdered 23 people during a 2019 Walmart shooting in El Paso, and Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, responsible for killing 77 people in combined gun and bomb attacks in 2011.
Vazquez and Cain Clark, 17, stand accused of shooting three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego last Monday before dying in what authorities have described as an apparent murder-suicide.
Red Flags Raised With School Officials
Law enforcement first became aware of Vazquez after two of his friends reported concerns to the school’s assistant principal. Police conducted a welfare check in January 2025 after the then-17-year-old allegedly warned a friend not to attend school the following day.
When officers arrived at the family residence, Vazquez’s father reportedly refused to allow police to speak with his son privately and would not permit officers to verify whether firearms in the home were properly secured.
The father’s lack of cooperation hindered officers’ ability to fully assess the reported concerns, Detective How wrote in the filing.
Erratic Behavior After Breakup
School officials documented several concerning incidents involving the teenager following a 2024 breakup with his girlfriend. The assistant principal reported that Vazquez was observed punching a tree and displaying irrational conduct. In another episode, he allegedly shaved his head, claimed he resembled someone in a concentration camp, and pointed a banana at people as if it were a firearm.
Despite these incidents, the assistant principal told police Vazquez had never been suspended from school. The educator also expressed surprise when Vazquez claimed he was being bullied by a transgender student, as no student by the names provided attended the small campus.
The teen allegedly told school officials he wanted to enlist in the military because he wanted to experience the risk of potential death.
Psychiatric Evaluation and Gun Restraining Order
The day after the welfare check, school resource officers and an emergency psychiatric response team met with Vazquez. He reportedly acknowledged his growing infatuation with mass shootings and World War II, and made statements about idolizing Hitler and believing the dictator had redeeming qualities.
Police documents also indicate Vazquez admitted to researching material on the dark web to prevent it from being traced back to him. He was subsequently placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold, and authorities successfully obtained a temporary gun violence restraining order.
Father Removed Weapons From Home
After the order was served, Vazquez’s father, Marco Vazquez, told police he and his wife removed more than two dozen guns, ammunition, and knives from their home and placed them in storage.
Marco Vazquez was later served with his own gun violence restraining order, but Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena dismissed it two weeks later.
With information from New York Post
