A 17-year-old girl in North Carolina is facing murder and conspiracy charges over her alleged role in a deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego, California, even though prosecutors say she was not physically present at the scene.

Sarah Santiago has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder under North Carolina’s aiding-and-abetting laws. Prosecutors allege that she helped the attackers plan and promote the May 18 shooting from behind the scenes.

Authorities say Santiago agreed in advance to livestream the attack, distribute footage of the shooting and publish writings attributed to the gunmen that prosecutors say attempted to justify the violence.

The shooting took place at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where authorities say 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez opened fire. Three people — Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad — were killed. Officials said the three victims were praised for actions that helped prevent further deaths before the attackers died by suicide.

Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said North Carolina law allows a person to be held criminally responsible even when they did not personally carry out the physical acts that constitute a crime.

Santiago has not entered a plea. Her attorney, Alan Doorasamy, previously said his client was innocent of the charges.

The decision to prosecute Santiago in North Carolina rather than California is unusual, according to Ronald Wright, a criminal law professor at Wake Forest University. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said North Carolina was given priority because its law permits juveniles to be initially charged and prosecuted as adults in certain circumstances, including murder cases.

Santiago’s next court hearing is scheduled for September 21. Her lawyer said the state had not yet provided the defense with discovery materials and indicated that he could ask the court to compel prosecutors to provide them.

Prosecutors also allege that Santiago purchased and sent Vazquez a Sonnenrad patch before the shooting. Authorities describe the symbol as associated with neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology and say Vazquez was wearing the patch during the attack.

Investigators said the gunmen had exchanged extremist material before the shooting. Authorities also found writings discussing race and religion, hate speech on one of the weapons and a suicide note containing references to racial pride.

Search warrants executed at residences connected to the attackers uncovered more than 30 firearms, including pistols, rifles and shotguns, as well as a crossbow, ammunition, tactical equipment and electronic devices.

Police said Clark’s mother contacted authorities after discovering what appeared to be a suicide note written by her son. She also reported that several firearms were missing from the home.

Vazquez had reportedly been receiving treatment in a mental health program until the day before the shooting. Authorities said his mother was informed that he had left the facility, while surveillance footage showed him departing the previous evening.

Court records also show that authorities had sought a gun violence emergency protective order in 2025 after Vazquez was placed on a psychiatric hold. The order followed concerns about what officials described as suspicious behavior involving an alleged fascination with Nazis and mass shooters.

Investigators said the two attackers had plans to carry out additional mass killings after the mosque shooting, including an alleged plan to target a Jewish temple and African American students at a public high school. Federal officials said the plans may have been abandoned after one of the gunmen was wounded by an armed security officer at the mosque.

The upcoming proceedings are expected to focus partly on whether prosecutors can prove that Santiago knowingly assisted the killings and intended to contribute to the deaths, according to Professor Wright.

Under North Carolina’s aiding-and-abetting theory, prosecutors must establish that Santiago knowingly encouraged, advised, assisted or otherwise helped the alleged perpetrators and that her actions or statements contributed to the commission of the murders.

The defense is also expected to challenge whether North Carolina courts have jurisdiction over a person accused of assisting a crime that was physically carried out in another state.

California has a similar aiding-and-abetting law, meaning Santiago could potentially face additional proceedings there, although it remains unclear whether California prosecutors will pursue charges while the North Carolina case continues.

The case could take months or years to reach a final resolution. Prosecutors in both states have said they intend to continue investigating the shooting and examining whether other individuals can be held legally responsible.

SOURCE: CNN, Julianna Bragg, September 19, 2026.