Accused California Synagogue Gunman Faces Murder, Arson Charges in Court
Error: Contact form not found.
by Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

John Earnest, accused in the fatal shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, stands in court during an arraignment hearing in San Diego, California, April 30, 2019. Photo: Nelvin C. Cepeda / Pool via Reuters.
A 19-year-old man accused of killing one worshiper and wounding three others in a shooting spree in a California synagogue appeared in court on Tuesday to face murder and attempted-murder charges in an attack prosecutors are treating as a hate crime.
John Earnest, arrested shortly after Saturday’s bloodshed at the Chabad of Poway synagogue north of San Diego, has also been charged with one count of arson on a house of worship stemming from a nearby mosque that was set on fire in March.
Appearing for a brief proceeding in San Diego County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon, Earnest wore dark-rimmed glasses, his hair combed straight forward, with a straight-faced expression.
Authorities said Earnest walked into the Poway synagogue during Sabbath prayers on the last day of the weeklong Jewish Passover holiday and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing 60-year-old congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye.
Three others were wounded in the attack, including the rabbi, who was shot in the hands and lost an index finger.
The gunman was chased out of the temple by a former Army sergeant who was in the congregation, then sped away in a car, escaping an off-duty US Border Patrol agent who shot at the getaway vehicle but missed the suspect. Earnest pulled over and surrendered to police soon afterward.
Investigators later said Earnest appeared to have written a rambling, violently antisemitic, anti-Muslim “manifesto” found posted on the internet.
In it, the author claimed responsibility for a predawn arson fire on March 24 that damaged the Islamic Center of Escondido, a town about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Poway, and professed to have drawn his inspiration from the gunman who killed 50 people at two mosques earlier that month in New Zealand.
Saturday’s bloodshed near San Diego came six months to the day after 11 worshipers were fatally shot at a Pittsburgh synagogue in a massacre that ranks as the deadliest ever on American Jewry. The accused gunman in that attack also was arrested.
Authorities said Earnest had no prior criminal record.
In addition to the charge of committing arson at a place of worship, he is now charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder in connection with the synagogue shooting. The criminal complaint, filed on Monday, also alleges that the synagogue shooting was perpetrated as a hate crime.
If convicted, he would face life in prison without parole or the death penalty, the district attorney’s office said.
Flydubai Co-Pilot Reportedly Planned Israel Attack in ‘Revenge for Gaza,’ Wanted to Die a Martyr
Jewish Groups Slam UK Greens’ ‘Zionism Is Racism’ Resolution as British Jews Face Increasingly Hostile Climate
Anti-Israel Groups Plan ‘Resistance’ Rally Outside NYC City Hall on Oct. 7, Accuse Mamdani of ‘Betrayal’
US Sen. Chris Murphy Praises ‘Presence of American Universities in Qatar’ During Doha Trip
Selma Blair Announces Documentary About Antisemitism, Recounts Being Canceled in Hollywood
Israel-Ireland Nations League Match Gets Hostile Before Irish Manager Calls for Teams to Be Separated
Co-Pilot Planned Flydubai Attack Before Joining Airline, Two Israeli Officials Say
Man Who Planned Attack on Israeli Embassy in London Jailed for at Least 20 Years
Yemeni Government Forces Drive Houthis From Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Why the Recent Airplane Attack Against Israel Is Also an Inspiration





Anti-Israel Groups Plan ‘Resistance’ Rally Outside NYC City Hall on Oct. 7, Accuse Mamdani of ‘Betrayal’
Flydubai Co-Pilot Reportedly Planned Israel Attack in ‘Revenge for Gaza,’ Wanted to Die a Martyr
Selma Blair Announces Documentary About Antisemitism, Recounts Being Canceled in Hollywood
Ruling Palestinian Party in West Bank Says It Has Never Recognized Israel
Israel-Ireland Nations League Match Gets Hostile Before Irish Manager Calls for Teams to Be Separated



