Thread: 1 Killed, 3 Injured In Shooting At Poway Synagogue; Gunman In Custody

1 Killed, 3 Injured In Shooting At Poway Synagogue; Alleged Gunman In Custody

Saturday, April 27, 2019
By Associated Press

PHOTO BY DENIS POROY / AP

Above: Synagogue members hug as a man with a hand injury looks on outside of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Poway, Calif. Several people were injured in a shooting at the synagogue.

UPDATED: 4:20 p.m., April 27, 2019
A 19-year-old man opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of a major Jewish holiday, killing a woman and wounding three others Saturday, authorities said.

President Donald Trump and other elected officials decried what they called an anti-Semitic attack exactly six months since 11 people were killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest assault on Jews in U.S. history.

The man, whose name was not released, used an AR-type assault weapon to shoot worshippers at Chabad of Poway, San Diego County Sheriff William Gore told reporters.
A girl and two men were wounded as the Jewish congregation gathered for Passover, a weeklong commemoration of the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.

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As the shooter fled, an off-duty Border Patrol agent inside the synagogue opened fire, missing him but striking his getaway vehicle in the city of Poway, just over 20 miles north of San Diego, Gore said.

The gunman called 911 shortly afterward to report the shooting, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said. When an officer reached the man on a roadway, "the suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody," Nisleit said.

Gore said he couldn't provide a motive while investigators interrogate the suspect, who is white. Authorities say they were reviewing copies of his social media posts.

There was no known threat after the man was detained, but authorities boosted patrols at places of worship as a precaution, police said.

Minoo Anvari, a member of the synagogue, told media outlets that her husband was inside during the shooting.

She said he called to tell her the shooter was shouting and cursing.

She called the shooting "unbelievable" in a peaceful and tight-knit community.

"We are strong; you can't break us," she said.
Four people were brought to Palomar Health Medical Center Hospital, spokesman Derryl Acosta said. A woman died of her wounds, and a girl and two men were in stable condition, authorities said. Their names weren't released.

Trump offered his sympathies Saturday, saying the shooting "looked like a hate crime" and calling it "hard to believe." The mayor of Poway also denounced what he called a hate crime.

"I want you know to you this is not Poway," Mayor Steve Vaus said. "We always walk with our arms around each other and we will walk through this tragedy with our arms around each other."

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he joins the community in grief.

"No one should have to fear going to their place of worship, and no one should be targeted for practicing the tenets of their faith," he said.

In Pittsburgh, a truck driver who authorities say expressed hatred of Jews has been charged in the Oct. 27 rampage at the Tree of Life synagogue. He's pleaded not guilty.

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UPDATED: 3:30 p.m., April 27, 2019
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Gov. Gavin Newsom offered their condolences to the Jewish community after a man opened fire Saturday at a synagogue outside San Diego.

Authorities say a 19-year-old man opened fire on Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover, killing one woman and wounding three others, including a girl.

Newsom said "no one should have to fear going to their place of worship."

Pelosi said on Twitter that she stands with the Jewish community against "this act of hate."

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that he had no details on motive.

The attack comes six months after 11 people were killed in the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

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A 19-year-old man armed with a rifle opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover, killing a woman and wounding three people Saturday, authorities said.

The man, whose name was not released, fled in a car and called 911 shortly afterward to say he was involved in the shooting at Chabad of Poway, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit told reporters.

When an officer reached the man on a roadway, "the suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody," Nisleit said.

The officer found an AR-style assault rifle in the front passenger seat.

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that he had no details on motive. Authorities say they were reviewing copies of his social media posts.

There was no known threat after the man was detained, but authorities boosted patrols at places of worship as a precaution, Nisleit said.

President Donald Trump has offered "deepest sympathies to the families of those affected" by a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego.

At the White House, Trump said Saturday that the shooting "looked like a hate crime" and called it "hard to believe." He spoke from the South Lawn before flying to a rally in Wisconsin.

The shooting came exactly six months since a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue killed 11 people in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.

An off-duty Border Patrol agent inside the synagogue in the city of Poway, just over 20 miles north of San Diego, opened fire as the shooter fled but didn't hit him, Gore said.

Minoo Anvari told CNN that she's a member of Chabad of Poway and her husband was inside during the shooting. She said he called to tell her the shooter was shouting and cursing and she called the shooting "unbelievable" in a peaceful and tight-knit community.

"We are strong, we are united, they can't break us," she said.

Four people were admitted to Palomar Health Medical Center Hospital, spokesman Derryl Acosta said. The Authorities said a girl and two men were wounded.

Passover began on April 19 and was ending Saturday.

In Pittsburgh, a truck driver who authorities say expressed hatred of Jews has been charged in the Oct. 27 rampage at the Tree of Life synagogue. He's pleaded not guilty.

This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/apr/2...way-synagogue/

Who Is John T. Earnest? Suspect in Poway Synagogue Shooting

Who is John T. Earnest, the suspect sources identify as being responsible for the deadly shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California.

By Tom Jones

Published 2 hours ago | Updated 4 minutes ago

This story has been updated and is still developing.
Multiple law enforcement sources confirm to NBC News that the suspect in the Poway synagogue shooting is 19-year-old John T. Earnest.

According to a manifesto, published online shortly after 10 a.m. PST on Saturday, Earnest also takes responsibility for an Escondido Mosque arson a month prior. During that incident,

Earnest spray-painted messages referencing the New Zealand mosque shooting.

The synagogue shooting and the mosque arson were less than 9 miles apart.

Escondido Police confirm detectives have started investigating whether Earnest is the suspect in that case.

In the manifesto, Earnest states he was attending nursing school but did not specify the exact location. On 8chan, a far-right message board website, a user identified as Earnest said he planned to livestream the shooting on Facebook but his account has since been deactivated.

Filled with racist rants and quotes from the Bible, Earnest praises the suspects responsible for the New Zealand mosque and Pittsburgh synagogue shootings as his inspiration for the planned shooting in Poway.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...509166781.html

UPDATE

1 victim has died.

BREITBART
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Source: Armed Parishioner Gave Gun to Off-duty Border Patrol Agent at Poway Synagogue

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Sandy Huffaker / AFP / GettyJOEL B. POLLAK27 Apr 2019

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A source in the San Diego Jewish community told Breitbart News on Saturday evening that the U.S. Border Patrol agent who chased the shooter at a Poway, California, synagogue earlier was given a gun by an armed parishioner.

The congregant had come to the synagogue to say Yizkor, the memorial prayer for the dead, as is customary on the last day of Passover, which coincided with the Jewish Sabbath. He had brought a gun in his tallis (prayer shawl) bag as a precaution.

When the shooting started, according to the source, the congregant handed the gun to an off-duty Border Patrol agent, telling him that he knew better what to do with the gun than the congregant himself.

The synagogue, Chabad of Poway, has taken many security precautions in the past, given the risk of antisemitic violence, according to the source.

However, in many communities, it is difficult to obtain concealed carry permits.

Last year, during a mass shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, six off-duty police officers present were unarmed.

The gunman in Poway killed a woman, Lori Gilbert-Kaye, as well as wounding three others, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who attempted to subdue the shooter.

A Facebook post being circulated widely notes that Gilbert-Kaye jumped in front of the gunman to protect the rabbi, saving his life and sacrificing her own.

The other two wounded individuals, 8-year-old Noya Dayan and her uncle, Alon, were reportedly visiting from the community of Sderot, in Israel — which, ironically, is subject to frequent terrorist attacks by Palestinian rockets from Gaza.

https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendm...ogue-shooting/

UPDATE

The shooter was a"quiet, straight A student, on the swim team and an accomplished pianist."

Local TV news.