Accused US synagogue gunman ‘praised Christchurch’ before attack

SAN DIEGO, Apr 28, 2019, CNN, AP. An anti-Semitic manifesto praising the Christchurch massacre was uploaded online just hours before an alleged 19-your-old gunman opened fire at a synagogue near San Diego killing a woman and wounding three people, reported the 9News.

Police say John T. Earnest opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon inside the Chabad of Poway Synagogue as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover shortly after 9am Saturday local time.

He was shot by an armed off-duty border patrol agent before fleeing the scene in a car, Police Chief David Nisleit said.

Officers spotted the suspect on the highway. But rather than fleeing, the “suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody”, Chief Nisleit said.

The officer allegedly found an AR-type rifle in the front passenger seat.

Documents posted on far-right message board 8chan hours before the shooting under the name “JohnTEarnest”, praised accused Christchurch terror attack gunman Brenton Tarrant, NBC reports.

As well as the link to the anti-Semitic note, there was a link to a Facebook page with a message saying “a livestream will begin shortly.”

The post also included songs the poster planned to play during the stream. It claims the shooter began planning his attack shortly after Tarrant.

Previously San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said they were reviewing copies of the accused’s social media posts.

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

Shortly after the attack, Mayor Steve Vaus described the shooting as a possible hate crime.

Mr Vaus said the three people who were wounded have non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities said a girl and two men were wounded.

He said he considered it a hate crime “because of statements that were made when the shooter entered”.

The mayor said the congregation was targeted by “someone with hate in their heart… towards our Jewish community and that just will not stand”.

“I also understand from folks on the scene that this shooter was engaged by people in the congregation and those brave people certainly prevented this from being a much worse tragedy,” Mr Vaus told CNN.

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 Ms Anvari, a refugee from Iran.

“He prayed for peace. I respect him – even in spite of being injured he refused to go to hospital and he spoke.

“And he finished his speech and he then left the synagogue.”

Ms Anvari said her husband told her the shooter was screaming and cursing when he opened fire.

Passover began on April 19 and was set to end Saturday (local time).

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

Tags: USA