Teen girl, 17, charged with murder in San Diego mosque shooting that killed three
Sarah Lindsey Santiago, 17, of North Carolina is charged with three counts of first-degree murder for allegedly livestreaming and distributing footage of the May 18 mosque attack.
North Carolina teen indicted for role in San Diego mosque massacre
A 17-year-old North Carolina student has been identified as the girl charged in connection with the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, NY Post Metro reports. Sarah Lindsey Santiago faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder following a grand jury indictment.
Prosecutors allege Santiago agreed, before the attack took place, to livestream the massacre, distribute the recording publicly and release the gunmen's manifesto. Authorities say she was one of three people who watched the livestream and subsequently recorded and disseminated the footage along with the attackers' writings.
Santiago was arrested last week. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill said she recorded the livestream, published the gunmen's writings and disseminated both.
The teen had initially faced the possibility of spending only several years in the juvenile justice system, given her age at the time of the shooting. Prosecutors said concerns mounted, however, as they weighed the seriousness of the allegations and the possibility she could soon return to school.
"We didn't know what she was capable of," O'Neill said at a press conference. "The law in North Carolina is clear. A person may be guilty of a crime, although he or she personally does not do any of the acts to constitute the crime."
The May 18 attack on the mosque was carried out by 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, who killed three men before both were later found dead inside a vehicle near the scene.
Prosecutors are pursuing the murder charges under an aiding-and-abetting theory, arguing that a person does not need to physically pull the trigger to bear responsibility for a killing if they knowingly helped facilitate the crime. Authorities allege the attackers intended to "kill as many people as possible that day" and sought to spread their actions and ideology to a wider audience.
The case against Santiago developed over a months-long investigation involving the FBI, authorities in San Diego, and law enforcement in North Carolina. Officials said the decision to bring charges followed a review of her alleged communications and actions surrounding the attack.
Source: NY Post Metro