A 17-year-old North Carolina girl faces life in prison without parole after prosecutors charged her as an adult for allegedly live streaming a deadly mosque shooting that killed three men, even though she never set foot at the scene.
Three Murder Counts For Streaming Attack
Sarah Lindsey Santiago of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was indicted by a grand jury on August 31 on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced that Santiago allegedly helped plan the May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which authorities are investigating as a hate crime. She remained jailed without bond as of September 1.
Santiago’s attorney, Alan Doorasamy Sr., told USA TODAY his client is innocent of all charges. He said he had not yet received evidence from police in the case and declined to explain how the shooters knew Santiago.
How Three Heroes Stopped Worse Carnage
Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, opened fire at the mosque, killing three men who fought back. Security guard Amin Abdullah, 51, returned fire at the gunmen. Caretaker Mansour Kaziha, 78, and worshiper Nadir Awad, 57, drew the shooters’ attention back toward the parking lot, preventing further casualties inside the building. All three men died protecting others during the attack.
According to O’Neill’s office, Santiago aided and abetted the killers by agreeing to live stream the attacks, publicly disseminate the recording, and release a manifesto authored by the attackers. Investigators said three people watched the live stream, including Santiago. O’Neill declined to say whether the other two viewers had been identified or would face charges.
Legal Strategy Behind Adult Prosecution
O’Neill explained that a person may be guilty of aiding and abetting if they share the same criminal intent as the perpetrator and fail to render aid during the crime, even when not physically present. Officials deliberately chose to prosecute Santiago in North Carolina because state law there allows her to be tried as an adult. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Court records show Santiago is scheduled to appear in court on September 21 for a hearing in the case.