California synagogue shooting: What We Know Now

Posted By on April 28, 2019

Editors, USA TODAY Published 3:12 a.m. ET April 28, 2019 | Updated 2:43 p.m. ET April 28, 2019

A gunman opened fire during Passover services at a California synagogue, leaving one dead and several injured. Wochit

One woman was killedand three others were wounded when a man entered a synagogue during Passover services Saturday at theChabad of Poway templeand opened fire with an AR-style assault weapon shortly before 11:30 a.m.

Poway isabout 25 miles northeast of San Diego. The city's mayor, President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom all called the attack a hate crime.

The suspect, 19-year-old John Earnest, was arrested and is being questioned by authorities.

Fred Nasseri, a longtime congregant at Chabad of Poway, told USA TODAYthat despite the incident we will not be broken. This is not going to break us.

Here is what we know so far.

Lori Kaye, 60, who was killed, was"very giving, kind. She was an angel," Nasseri said. "Ive known her for 25 years and I can say nothing but good things about her ... the community lost a great soul.

Injured in the melee wereRabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Noya Dahan, 8, and Almog Peretz, 34, authorities said. Goldstein on Sunday, in an interview with "Today,"described the chilling momentswhen he became "face-to-face" with the gunman.He said he put his hands up to protect himself and lost one of his fingers in the shooting.

An off-duty Border Patrol officer wasworking as a security guard at inside the templewhen the attack unfolded. He fired on the gunman as the suspect fled the area, hitting the gunman's car, authorities told reporters during an afternoon news conference.

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said that as one of his officers was on the way to the shooting, he overheard on the scanner that the suspect had called into police, saying "he was just involved in this shooting" and giving his locationalong Interstate 15. The officer quickly spotted the suspect, who pulled over and jumped out of his vehicle with his hands up, surrendering to authorities.

Synagogue members walk outside of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Poway, Calif. (Photo: Denis Poroy, AP)

San Diego Sheriff William Gore said authorities were poring over John Earnest'ssocial media accounts anda letterthat Gore described as a "manifesto" posted online around the time of the attack.

Gore said officials were working to verify the posting's authenticity and did not offer details on any motive. But the lettersupposedly details the shooter's hateful motivations and his reasons for targeting members of the Jewish faith.

Earnest was also being investigated in connection with the arson at a mosque in nearby Escondido last month, Gore said.

Earnest was a student at Cal State University San Marcos, school officials said and had attended MountCarmel High school.

President Donald Trump called the attacka "hate crime" before he departed the White House for a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Saturday night. He alsopraised the response by law enforcement and offered his condolences to those affected in the attack.

"Mydeepest sympathiesgo to the people that were affected the families, the loved ones by the, obviously looks right now based on my last conversations looks like a hate crime," Trump said. "Hard to believe, hard to believe."

California's Gov.Gavin Newsom said those in his state, like other parts of the world, should not have to fear due to their religion.

"Charleston, Pittsburgh, Quebec, New Zealand now our own Poway, California. No one should ever fear going to their place of worship," he said on Twitter. "Hate continues to fuel horrific and cowardly acts of violence across our state, country, and world. It must be called out. CA stands with Poway."

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California synagogue shooting: What We Know Now

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