Teen girl charged with murder over recording of San Diego mosque attack
Prosecutors say the 17-year-old from North Carolina also published a manifesto from the two teenage gunmen in the 18 May attack.
A 17-year-old girl has been charged with murder, accused of aiding and abetting, after prosecutors alleged she live-streamed a San Diego mosque attack that resulted in three fatalities.
Prosecutors further claim the girl disseminated a manifesto authored by the two teenage gunmen responsible for the May 18 assault on the Islamic Center of San Diego.
The North Carolina teenager was apprehended last week and subsequently indicted by a grand jury on Monday, as confirmed by Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill.
During a news conference, O'Neill stated, "The thought of her going back to school, with the weekend approaching, holy days approaching, we didn't know what she was capable of."
The teenager now faces three murder charges and one count of conspiracy. O'Neill clarified that North Carolina law allows for a person accused of aiding and abetting a crime to be held criminally responsible in the same manner as the perpetrator.
Authorities reported that the attack was carried out by two males, aged 17 and 18, who opened fire at the mosque before taking their own lives.
O'Neill indicated the pair had two objectives that day: "Number one, to kill as many people as possible on that day. Secondly, they wanted this carnage and destruction recorded ... livestreamed."
Three individuals died in the May attack.
Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the mosque, exchanged gunfire with the attackers and initiated a lockdown, which helped protect approximately 140 children inside the building.
Abdullah and two worshippers, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad, who drew the attention of the shooters in a parking lot, were fatally shot.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl previously lauded Abdullah's actions as "heroic," asserting they had "undoubtedly" saved lives.
Investigators revealed the shooters recorded the attack using cameras mounted on GoPro-style helmets. O'Neill added that the pair had also planned additional attacks "at a local Jewish temple and finally at a predominantly African American high school."
Authorities stated the teenagers possessed an arsenal of around 30 guns and a crossbow, which investigators believe were taken from one of the shooter's parents.
The attackers also left behind writings containing racist and antisemitic views, along with references to white supremacist ideologies.
The document, reviewed by CBS News, the BBC's US news partner, cited a gunman who murdered 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, as one of their inspirations.