As authorities continue investigating the May 18 mass shooting that left three members of San Diego’s Muslim community dead before the two teenage suspects ultimately turned their guns on themselves, social media users across multiple platforms began widely circulating a photograph incorrectly claiming to show one of the assailants, 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez.
The problem: the person pictured is not Caleb Vazquez. The individual in the viral images is actually Jakub Vazquez, a young San Diego man who says he has absolutely no involvement in the attack and does not even know the suspect being discussed online and associated as him.
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| The real Caleb Vazquez |
On Tuesday afternoon, visibly emotional and at times nearly breaking down, Jakub released a video publicly begging people to stop spreading the false identification before the misinformation permanently damages his life.
“People say we graduated the same year. I have no knowledge to who he is, what school he even attended,” Jakub said in the video. “As far as Cain, he was my teammate [on the wrestling team] two years ago. As far as that, he was nothing more than just a teammate. After my season ended, I had no contact with him. I have no association with him. I am not involved in this matter in any way, shape or form.”
Jakub stated he became aware that his own photograph was being repeatedly reposted online alongside the name Caleb Vazquez as internet speculation exploded following the shooting.
“I am personally scared because this misinformation is being spread rapidly,” he said. “I personally want to clear my name because I am nowhere near involved in any of this.”
San Diego Police have identified the suspects as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez. Investigators say the pair were radicalized online, left behind a manifesto espousing extremist racial and religious ideologies, and seemingly livestreamed portions of the attack and aftermath, including their own deaths. Federal authorities stated Tuesday that investigators are actively reviewing electronic evidence tied to the suspects, including digital communications and online activity.
As more verified evidence tied to the actual suspects has begun emerging, including surveillance footage, investigative details and images reportedly connected to the livestream, it has become increasingly clear that the viral photograph circulating online was misidentified from the start.
Yet despite growing clarification, the incorrect image continues spreading across TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit and other platforms, with many users reposting it without verification.
The consequences of false identification in high-profile criminal cases can be devastating, particularly in an era where viral misinformation can spread globally within minutes. People incorrectly accused online often face harassment, threats, reputational damage, employment consequences and long-term digital association with crimes they had nothing to do with.
In Jakub’s case, the situation appears especially cruel given the emotional intensity surrounding Monday’s attack and the public outrage directed toward the perpetrators.
“I’ve seen the comments,” Jakub said near the conclusion of his statement. “It’s scary.”
His video also repeatedly emphasized sympathy for the actual victims and their families.
“My heart goes out to all the victims’ loved ones and family members who are affected in yesterday’s shooting,” he said. “My condolences, my prayers, all of it goes out to everyone who was affected.”
The broader investigation into the Islamic Center shooting remains ongoing. Authorities say the suspects arrived at the mosque shortly before noon Monday, where security guard Amin Abdullah reportedly engaged them in a firefight after reporting their presence, a fact that investigators believe helped prevent even greater loss of life inside the mosque and adjacent school campus, where approximately 140 children were nearby at the time of the attack.
Investigators later recovered more than 30 firearms and a crossbow tied to the suspects’ residences. Federal authorities have stated the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
Meanwhile, Jakub Vazquez now finds himself caught in an entirely separate nightmare, attempting to publicly separate his identity from one of the most horrifying crimes in recent San Diego history simply because strangers online incorrectly attached his face to the story.
SanDiegoVille is publishing this article solely to help clarify the misinformation currently circulating online regarding Jakub Vazquez’s identity. Given the extraordinary circumstances and the apparent harm caused by the false identification, this article is intended to be temporary and will likely be removed in the coming weeks so that this mistaken association does not become a permanent part of this young man’s online history.
Originally published on May 20, 2026.
“People say we graduated the same year. I have no knowledge to who he is, what school he even attended,” Jakub said in the video. “As far as Cain, he was my teammate [on the wrestling team] two years ago. As far as that, he was nothing more than just a teammate. After my season ended, I had no contact with him. I have no association with him. I am not involved in this matter in any way, shape or form.”
Jakub stated he became aware that his own photograph was being repeatedly reposted online alongside the name Caleb Vazquez as internet speculation exploded following the shooting.
“I am personally scared because this misinformation is being spread rapidly,” he said. “I personally want to clear my name because I am nowhere near involved in any of this.”
The emotional video comes as online sleuthing, misinformation and reckless reposting continue spiraling in the aftermath of the attack, which authorities now report killed Islamic Center security guard Amin Abdullah and community members Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad before the two suspects later died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle several blocks away.
San Diego Police have identified the suspects as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez. Investigators say the pair were radicalized online, left behind a manifesto espousing extremist racial and religious ideologies, and seemingly livestreamed portions of the attack and aftermath, including their own deaths. Federal authorities stated Tuesday that investigators are actively reviewing electronic evidence tied to the suspects, including digital communications and online activity.
As more verified evidence tied to the actual suspects has begun emerging, including surveillance footage, investigative details and images reportedly connected to the livestream, it has become increasingly clear that the viral photograph circulating online was misidentified from the start.
Yet despite growing clarification, the incorrect image continues spreading across TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit and other platforms, with many users reposting it without verification.
The consequences of false identification in high-profile criminal cases can be devastating, particularly in an era where viral misinformation can spread globally within minutes. People incorrectly accused online often face harassment, threats, reputational damage, employment consequences and long-term digital association with crimes they had nothing to do with.
In Jakub’s case, the situation appears especially cruel given the emotional intensity surrounding Monday’s attack and the public outrage directed toward the perpetrators.
“I’ve seen the comments,” Jakub said near the conclusion of his statement. “It’s scary.”
His video also repeatedly emphasized sympathy for the actual victims and their families.
“My heart goes out to all the victims’ loved ones and family members who are affected in yesterday’s shooting,” he said. “My condolences, my prayers, all of it goes out to everyone who was affected.”
The broader investigation into the Islamic Center shooting remains ongoing. Authorities say the suspects arrived at the mosque shortly before noon Monday, where security guard Amin Abdullah reportedly engaged them in a firefight after reporting their presence, a fact that investigators believe helped prevent even greater loss of life inside the mosque and adjacent school campus, where approximately 140 children were nearby at the time of the attack.
Investigators later recovered more than 30 firearms and a crossbow tied to the suspects’ residences. Federal authorities have stated the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
Meanwhile, Jakub Vazquez now finds himself caught in an entirely separate nightmare, attempting to publicly separate his identity from one of the most horrifying crimes in recent San Diego history simply because strangers online incorrectly attached his face to the story.
SanDiegoVille is publishing this article solely to help clarify the misinformation currently circulating online regarding Jakub Vazquez’s identity. Given the extraordinary circumstances and the apparent harm caused by the false identification, this article is intended to be temporary and will likely be removed in the coming weeks so that this mistaken association does not become a permanent part of this young man’s online history.
Originally published on May 20, 2026.
