Federal law enforcement officials warned parents that their teenage son was making concerning comments about school shootings on the dark web just days before he carried out a mass shooting at a San Diego mosque, according to new details included in a recently filed lawsuit.
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he → warn → lawsuit
Caleb Vazquez, 18, was living at Park Mental Health Treatment of San Diego and receiving treatment for a range of mental health conditions, including depression and psychotic episodes at the time of the attack.
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Vazquez → live → attack
His mother alleges in her lawsuit that the mental health facility failed to intervene despite signs that her 18-year-old son posed an imminent threat to himself and others.
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son → allege → himself
The court filings follow several high-profile convictions of guardians who provided teenagers with weapons that were later used in mass shootings.
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that → follow → shootings
The FBI called Vazquez’s mother on the evening of May 14, and she said she immediately left a message with the treatment facility to notify its staff, according to the lawsuit, filed in a San Diego court on August 31.
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she → call → August
Vazquez’s mother again shared the FBI’s warnings with her son’s therapist on May 15 and with a program director later that night.
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mother → share → director
On May 18, the morning of the shooting, employees at the facility contacted Vazquez’s mother to tell her that he was missing.
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he → contact → her
Video surveillance footage subsequently showed Vazquez leaving the property at 8pm the night before.
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Vazquez → show → pm
Vazquez’s parents were driving around looking for him on the morning of the shooting.
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parents → drive → shooting
Vazquez and another teenager killed three people at the San Diego mosque that day before taking their own lives.
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Vazquez → kill → lives
It is unclear whether Vazquez was allowed to leave the previous evening or whether he broke facility rules by doing so.
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he → allow → rules
Park Mental Health offers a range of treatment options, some of which advertise 24-hour surveillance, while others provide more limited counseling.
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others → offer → counseling
The center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Saturday afternoon.
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center → respond → comment
In a previous statement to radio station KPBS, Park Mental Health disputed the assertions in the lawsuit.
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Health → dispute → lawsuit
“While it is understandable that his parents might seek to blame someone in their time of loss, this lawsuit is misguided in that neither Park nor its employees are responsible for Mr. Vazquez’s actions,” the statement to KPBS read.
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statement → seek → KPBS
“Only he and his coconspirator bear responsibility for their conduct and, ultimately, his death.”
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he → bear → conduct
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment Saturday, citing agency policy.
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spokesperson → decline → policy
The FBI’s alleged contact with Vazquez’s parents was not the first sign of his mental deterioration.
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contact → allege → deterioration
Vazquez had been hospitalized for roughly three days in January 2026 after telling a classmate that he wanted to carry out a school shooting.
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he → hospitalize → shooting
Almost exactly a year earlier, Vazquez was flagged to law enforcement for exhibiting alarming behavior and idolizing Nazis, prompting police to confiscate 26 guns from his father under a 2014 California law allowing firearms to be taken from people considered dangerous.
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firearms → flag → people
Authorities have said Vazquez met the other shooter, Cain Clark, 17, online and that both were radicalized there.
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both → say → shooter
Police have not shared more details about how they knew each other or specified whose weapons were used in the shooting.
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weapons → share → shooting
The lawsuit was filed on the same day that North Carolina authorities announced the indictment of a 17-year-old in connection with the shooting.
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authorities → file → shooting
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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you → base → Lifeline
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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you → go → you
In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
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people → have → 123
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