A 17-year-old girl in the United States has been indicted on three counts of murder and conspiracy over a deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego.
Prosecutors in North Carolina allege that the teenager helped facilitate the attack by filming the incident for an online livestream and later distributing a manifesto written by the two teenage suspects.
The girl, who is from North Carolina, was arrested last week and formally indicted by a grand jury on Monday, according to Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill.
Authorities said she could face the same criminal liability as the alleged attackers under North Carolina law because of the state’s provisions on aiding and abetting.
The shooting took place on May 18 at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Two male suspects, aged 17 and 18, reportedly entered the mosque and opened fire before both died by suicide.
Three people were killed in the incident.
They were security officer Amin Abdullah and worshippers Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad.
Investigators said Abdullah exchanged gunfire with the attackers and triggered a lockdown, protecting about 140 children who were inside the facility.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described his response as heroic and said it almost certainly prevented further deaths.
Prosecutors believe the attackers deliberately recorded the violence using cameras attached to helmets.
O’Neill said their intention was not only to cause mass casualties but also to ensure the destruction was captured and broadcast.
Investigators also allege that the suspects had considered attacking a Jewish temple and a predominantly African American high school.
Authorities recovered an estimated 30 firearms and a crossbow, which investigators believe had been taken from a parent of one of the suspects.
The teenagers are also accused of leaving writings expressing racist and antisemitic beliefs and promoting white supremacist ideas.
A manifesto examined by CBS News reportedly identified the gunman responsible for killing 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, as an inspiration for the suspects.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong