NC Teen Indicted in San Diego Mosque Shooting

A 17-year-old North Carolina girl, Sarah Lindsey Santiago, has been indicted as an adult on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy in connection with the May 2026 mass shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, after investigators say she livestreamed the attack, disseminated the attackers’ manifesto, and helped plan the violence. Prosecutors say she agreed to livestream the killings, released the manifesto, and even supplied a neo-Nazi patch worn by one of the shooters, who along with a second teen killed three people before dying by self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities describe the plot as part of a broader plan to target additional sites, including a local temple and a high school, and emphasize that she acted to aid and abet the attackers’ intent. The case was pursued by Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill and involved multiple agencies, with the girl facing potential prison time as an adult under state charges and possible federal implications. The victims were Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad, who were killed during the attack, which followed an online radicalization of the male shooters. The indictment and charges come as investigators note opportunities where the threat could have been reported before the attack and stress the consequences of failing to act on credible information.