A frantic two hours as police struggled to assess threat before San Diego shooters opened fire

Key Points:

• The mother of shooter Cain Lee Clark made multiple urgent calls to police about her son before the San Diego mosque attack, but officers did not arrive at her home until nearly 90 minutes after the first call, amid ongoing police staffing shortages.
• Police initially classified the case as a lower-priority runaway juvenile report, but later elevated it to a Priority 1 terrorism threat after receiving more detailed information from the mother, prompting a search for Clark and his accomplice.
• Clark and Caleb Liam Vazquez carried out the mass shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, but were briefly stopped by a security guard and others, who helped alert people and police, ultimately saving lives; both attackers died from self-inflicted wounds.
• The San Diego Police Department is facing significant staffing shortages, with about 200 vacant officer positions and response times at historic highs, which has raised concerns about public safety and officer burnout.
• Police officials are still investigating the timeline and details of the attack, and have acknowledged that their understanding of the threat evolved as new information emerged from the mother’s calls, though they have not publicly detailed the response delays.