Lawsuit Claims Mental Health Facility Ignored FBI Warnings Prior to San Diego Mosque Shooting

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just days before a deadly mass shooting at a San Diego mosque carried out by two teenagers, federal law enforcement officials warned the parents of one of the shooters about concerning comments their son made regarding school shootings on the dark web, according to details revealed in a recently filed lawsuit.

The mother of Caleb Vazquez alleges in her lawsuit that Park Mental Health Treatment of San Diego failed to take action despite clear signs that her 18-year-old son posed an imminent threat to himself and others. Vazquez was residing at the facility and receiving treatment for several mental health conditions, including depression and psychotic episodes, court documents state.

This legal filing follows a series of high-profile convictions involving guardians who provided minors with weapons later utilized in mass shootings. According to the lawsuit filed in a San Diego court on August 31, the FBI contacted Vazquez's mother on the evening of May 14. She stated that she immediately left a message with the treatment facility to alert its staff.

Vazquez's mother communicated the FBI's warnings again to her son's therapist on May 15 and subsequently spoke with a program director later that night. On May 18, the morning of the attack, facility employees contacted Vazquez's mother to inform her that he was missing. Video surveillance later showed Vazquez leaving the property at 8 p.m. the previous evening, and his parents were actively searching for him on the morning of the shooting.

Vazquez and another teenager killed three people at the San Diego mosque before taking their own lives. It remains unclear whether Vazquez was permitted to leave the facility the night before or if he violated facility rules by departing.

Park Mental Health provides various treatment options, with some programs advertising round-the-clock surveillance while others offer more limited counseling services. The center did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, in a prior statement to radio station KPBS, Park Mental Health contested the claims made in the lawsuit, stating that neither the facility nor its employees are responsible for the actions of Mr. Vazquez.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, citing agency policy. The contact from the FBI was not the initial indication of Vazquez's declining mental health; he had previously been hospitalized for approximately three days in January 2026 after telling a classmate of his intent to carry out a school shooting. Nearly a year prior to that, Vazquez was flagged by law enforcement for alarming behavior and an idolization of Nazis, which led police to confiscate 26 firearms from his father under a California law that permits the removal of weapons from individuals deemed dangerous.

Authorities reported that Vazquez met his co-conspirator, 17-year-old Cain Clark, online, where both individuals were radicalized. Police have not released further details regarding how the two connected or whose weapons were used in the attack. The lawsuit was filed on the same day North Carolina authorities announced the indictment of a 17-year-old related to the shooting.