1 killed, 3 injured in California Synagogue shooting.

[The Romulan Republic]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/poway-san ... -1.5114160

A gunman opened fire in a San Diego-area synagogue with an assault-style weapon on Saturday, killing one woman inside and wounding three other worshippers in a hate crime carried out on the last day of Passover, authorities said.

The suspect, who fled the scene by car but surrendered to police a short time later, was identified by authorities as John Earnest, 19, of San Diego, the apparent author of a "manifesto" who claimed to have set a nearby mosque on fire last month and professed drawing inspiration from the gunman who killed nearly 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said police and FBI were investigating Earnest's "possible involvement" in an unsolved predawn arson on March 24 at the Islamic Center of Escondido, a town about 24 km north of the synagogue attacked on Saturday. No one was hurt at the mosque fire.

Gore said Earnest had "no prior criminal record."

The gun violence at the Congregation Chabad synagogue in the town of Poway, Calif., about 37 kilometres north of downtown San Diego, unfolded six months to the day after 11 worshippers were killed and six others were wounded by a gunman who stormed a synagogue in Pittsburgh yelling, "All Jews must die." The assailant in that incident was arrested.

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, speaking from a police command center, characterized Saturday's shooting as a "hate crime," saying his assessment was based on statements uttered by the gunman when he entered the synagogue.

Speaking with reporters at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "My deepest sympathies go to the people that were affected." He added that "it looks like a hate crime" and that authorities will "get to the bottom of it."

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told reporters that four people were struck by gunfire and taken to Palomar Medical Center, where one of the victims, an "older woman," died. The three other patients — "two adult males" and a "female juvenile" — were listed in stable condition, Gore said.

The bloodshed unfolded shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time in Poway, a suburb of about 50,000 residents, when the suspect walked into the synagogue and started shooting, Gore said. He was arrested a short time later when he peacefully surrendered to police.

A San Diego officer was en route to the shooting scene when he overheard a California Highway Patrol (CHP) radio dispatch "of a suspect who had called into CHP to report that he was just involved in this shooting and his location," San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit recounted.

"The officer was actually on the freeway and he clearly saw the suspect in his vehicle. The suspect pulled over and jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody," Nisleit said.

He said the assault-style rifle believed to be the murder weapon was found on the front passenger seat of the car.

Local television channel KGTV 10News said the synagogue was hosting a holiday celebration beginning at 11 a.m. and due to culminate in a final Passover meal at 7 p.m. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the synagogue at the time.

Synagogue members walk outside of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue on April 27, 2019, in Poway, Calif. One woman is dead and three other worshipers were injured after a shooting at the synagogue on Saturday. (Denis Poroy/Associated Press)
San Diego television station KGTV reported a woman whose husband was still inside the synagogue as saying the victims included the rabbi.

Minoo Anvari, an Iranian refugee whose husband was attending services inside when gunshots rang out, told KUSI-TV the wounded included a female friend and the rabbi, who was shot in the hand.

"We are united. You can't break us. We are in the U.S.," Anvari told KUSI.

A man who lives nearby, Christopher Folts, said on CNN he heard six to seven gunshots, then a man yelling, followed by six to seven more shots.

Cantor Caitlin Bromberg of Ner Tamid Synagogue, down the street from the shooting scene, said her congregation learned of the shooting at the end of their Passover services and that they were heading to Chabad of Poway to show support and help.

"We are horrified and upset, and we want them to know we are thinking of them," Bromberg told The Los Angeles Times, adding that she has not heard from Chabad of Poway leadership because they would not normally use the phone during the Sabbath.

"They would only do that on emergency basis, if they do it at all," Bromberg told the newspaper.

[Broomstick]

I am waiting to hear if the woman in my widows' group who has children in southern California went to visit them for Passover. She has mentioned that when she goes there her synagogue of choice it "the Chabad". Don't know if it's that Chabad ... Probably won't know until Tuesday if this affected either her or her kids (other than this sort of thing being upsetting to anyone Jewish).

Fucking hell, the Christians got hit for Easter, the Jews for Passover. Granted, the events were unrelated from a planning viewpoint but they are related in that rabid hate seems to be on the rise in general. At least they've admitted straight up this was a hate crime instead of muttering about the perpetrator being mentally ill.

[The Romulan Republic]

I hope your friend is alright.

Its good that they're calling it a hate crime, yes, but if they really want to be even-handed, they'll call it terrorism, rather than reserving that label for ideologically-motivated murders by Muslims.

[The Romulan Republic]

Identities of the victims, and some information on them.

Apparently, the woman who died was shot taking a bullet to protect the rabbi.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/28/us/calif ... index.html

(CNN)When a gunman opened fire in a synagogue in California, killing one and injuring three others, Lori Kaye jumped between the shooter and the rabbi.

Kaye, 60, was shot at the synagogue and died at a nearby hospital. In addition to Kaye, at least three others were wounded in the shooting Saturday at Congregation Chabad in Poway, north of San Diego.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 57, had been shot in the hand when Kaye stepped between him and the gunman. The rabbi suffered what looked like defensive wounds to both of his index fingers, a doctor at the Palomar Medical Center said.

Roneet Lev, a member of the congregation and Kaye's friend of 25 years, was not at the synagogue but told CNN she rushed to the hospital when she heard about the shooting. As Goldstein was being wheeled into surgery, he told her how her friend saved his life, she said.

Kaye had attended services Saturday to say a Kaddish prayer for her mother, who died in November, Lev said.

Kaye's husband is a physician and rushed to the scene to perform CPR after he heard about the shooting. When he realized his wife was a victim, he fainted, Lev said.

"She didn't die a senseless death," Lev said. "She died advertising the problem we have with anti-Semitism and to bring good to this world ... If God put an angel on this planet, it would have been Lori."

Kaye, a native of San Diego, leaves behind a husband and a 22-year-old daughter, Lev said.

The injured victims

Noya Dahan, 9

Noya was at the synagogue with her two sisters and was injured by shrapnel, her father said.

The girl was wounded in one leg and in the face, and was transferred to a children's hospital. "We're shocked, it's a little bit scary.

We're all over the place," Israel Dahan told CNN early Sunday.

The family moved from Israel eight years ago to live in a safer community after both he and his wife were injured by rockets.

"(We were) under the impression that everything is good here. Today we noticed this is not even close to be regular life," Dahan said.
A few years ago, he said, their home was sprayed with Swastikas. Now his children don't want to live in the United States, he said. After the shooting, he said, they asked him one question.

"Why we are staying here?"

Almog Peretz, 34

Almog Peretz is Dahan's brother-in-law. He was injured by shrapnel while trying to protect his niece, the girl's father said.

Peretz was visiting from Israel for Passover and was attending Saturday service with his family when the shooting happened, Lev said.

When Peretz saw the shooter aiming the rifle at children, he opened up the large doors, yelled for them to get out and helped bring the children to a nearby home to hide, Lev said.

Two of the children were missing for about 45 minutes after the shooting because they were still hiding, Lev said. Peretz told Lev if the shooter's rifle didn't jam, the children would have been shot.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 57

The 57-year-old rabbi will likely lose his right index finger after the shooting, the doctor said.

Congregation member Minoo Anvari, who said her husband witnessed the shooting, said the rabbi called for unity and prayed for peace even after getting shot.

"Rabbi said, 'We are united,'" said Anvari, a refugee from Iran.

The shooting happened during a celebration for Passover, one of the holiest Jewish celebrations.

Noya was at the synagogue with her two sisters and was injured by shrapnel, her father said.

The girl was wounded in one leg and in the face, and was transferred to a children's hospital. "We're shocked, it's a little bit scary. We're all over the place," Israel Dahan told CNN early Sunday.

The family moved from Israel eight years ago to live in a safer community after both he and his wife were injured by rockets.

"(We were) under the impression that everything is good here. Today we noticed this is not even close to be regular life," Dahan said.

A few years ago, he said, their home was sprayed with Swastikas. Now his children don't want to live in the United States, he said.

After the shooting, he said, they asked him one question.

"Why we are staying here?"

Why indeed?

[Ace Pace]

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

[The Romulan Republic]

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

Put yourself in their place. They come to the US to escape violence, and get repeatedly exposed to anti-Semitic hatred culminating in being targeted by a mass shooter.

Sure, from a statistical analysis, the US is probably safer from terrorism (for now- we'll see what happens when the 2020 election results come in). But from their point of view, nothing has changed.

[Broomstick]

Why?

Where else is there to go? There are attacks against the Jews pretty much everywhere, and have been for thousands of years. Up until now the US has largely been a haven for Jewish people, they are much more accepted and integrated into the US than nearly anywhere else in the world, and unlike Israel the US is not under constant siege.

Which in no way excuses or erases the horror and tragedy of the attacks on the Tree of Life Synagogue and the Poway Chabad.

That said, I can certainly see the family relocating to a different place. Statistics are one thing, personal experience another.

[Ace Pace]

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

Put yourself in their place. They come to the US to escape violence, and get repeatedly exposed to anti-Semitic hatred culminating in being targeted by a mass shooter.

Sure, from a statistical analysis, the US is probably safer from terrorism (for now- we'll see what happens when the 2020 election results come in). But from there point of view, nothing has changed.

It's a easy for me to put myself in their shoes, I'm quite familiar with this calculation

In the pure security angle? Sure, but when you get down to it, Israel is a country rapidly deteriorating demographically and politically on nearly every axis.

[Broomstick]

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

I am not so sure about that - given the descriptions of Jewish institution security in Europe described to me by Jews who have been there fairly recently, and news reports I have read in the French media, as well as recent problems in Nordic nations.... Jews in other first world countries might be less vulnerable to mass shootings with an AR-15 but they experience more antisemitism and harassment than in the US and have, if anything, more concern about security than in the US.

[The Romulan Republic]

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

Put yourself in their place. They come to the US to escape violence, and get repeatedly exposed to anti-Semitic hatred culminating in being targeted by a mass shooter.

Sure, from a statistical analysis, the US is probably safer from terrorism (for now- we'll see what happens when the 2020 election results come in). But from there point of view, nothing has changed.

It's a easy for me to put myself in their shoes, I'm quite familiar with this calculation

In the pure security angle? Sure, but when you get down to it, Israel is a country rapidly deteriorating demographically and politically on nearly every axis.

Fair enough.

Why?

Where else is there to go? There are attacks against the Jews pretty much everywhere, and have been for thousands of years. Up until now the US has largely been a haven for Jewish people, they are much more accepted and integrated into the US than nearly anywhere else in the world, and unlike Israel the US is not under constant siege.

Which in no way excuses or erases the horror and tragedy of the attacks on the Tree of Life Synagogue and the Poway Chabad.

That said, I can certainly see the family relocating to a different place. Statistics are one thing, personal experience another.

Because moving to Israel is worse? They should move to pretty much any other first world country rather than Israel.

I am not so sure about that - given the descriptions of Jewish institution security in Europe described to me by Jews who have been there fairly recently, and news reports I have read in the French media, as well as recent problems in Nordic nations.... Jews in other first world countries might be less vulnerable to mass shootings with an AR-15 but they experience more antisemitism and harassment than in the US and have, if anything, more concern about security than in the US.

And that's the cruelest, most damning thing of all. There is nowhere safe. There is nowhere on this whole planet that the Alt. Reich's filthy tentacles can't reach, poisoning and corrupting everything that they touch. Just as there is nowhere that is immune to acts of terrorism. Just in the last month or two we've had major terrorist attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka (one Alt. Reich, one Jihadi), in addition to the places that are pretty much perpetual war-zones. These terrorists spread by meme over social media, feeding off each other, taking "inspiration" from other attacks or using attacks by different factions to justify their own crimes in retaliation. Country after country is closing its doors, and every week it seems like there's another election somewhere, and the result is always the same, regardless of where it is or who's running: the xenophobic, authoritarian Right wins.

There are times when I wonder if we're already past the point where victory is possible, or if its all over but the exterminations at this point. I think that we could win, if enough people understood the threat. I truly don't believe that murderous bigots represent a majority. But too many people just can't believe that its as bad as it is, or they do but they've become numb to it. Its just "business as usual", as opposed to recognizing that what we face is an existential threat to human civilization every bit as great as the one we faced in the 1930s and '40s.