CA Synagogue Shooter Pleads Guilty, Faces 113 Hate Crimes

Escondido CA

18 September, 2021

5:24 PM

Description

ESCONDIDO, CA — A California man admitted that he set fire to an Escondido mosque and opened fire into a Poway synagogue because he wanted to "kill Muslims and Jews." One person was killed in the attacks and several others were wounded. John T. Earnest, a 22-year-old Rancho Penasquitos resident, pleaded guilty on Friday to an indictment of 113 hate crimes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. Prosecutors are set to recommend a sentence of life plus 30 years, according to the terms of the plea agreement. Earnest was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2019 on civil rights, hate crime and firearm charges in connection with the murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye and the attempted murder of 53 others at the Chabad of Poway in April of 2019. He was also indicted for the March 24 arson of the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido. "This nation stands with Lori Gilbert Kaye's family and the survivors of these unspeakable acts of terror," Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman said in a statement. "We emphatically reject the defendant's hate, racism and prejudice, and we hope the conclusion of this case brings some measure of comfort to all those affected by his heinous crimes." In July, he pleaded guilty to murder and other charges in state court, but in late August federal prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty. The former nursing student launched his deadly attack on the last day of Passover. After several weeks of planning and posting a manifesto on social media, Earnest drove to the Chabad of Poway synagogue, where members had gathered for worship on April 27, 2019, according to court documents. Earnest entered the building armed with a Smith and Wesson assault rifle and opened fire, killing Kaye and injuring three others, including an 8-year-old child, prosecutors said. Earnest reportedly fled the scene in his car, called 911 and confessed that he had "just shot up a synagogue." He was arrested shortly after. In his pre-attack manifesto, Earnest wrote: "I can only kill so many Jews" and "I only wish I killed more." He added that he was inspired by the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, along with two other mosque shootings in New Zealand. Earnest further admitted that the month before, he attempted to set fire to the Dar-ul-Arqam mosque in Escondido, because of his hatred of Muslims. While seven missionaries were asleep inside, no one was injured. "The tragic shooting at the Chabad of Poway was shocking for our community," said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas. "Our condolences go out to the victims and their families who were affected by this horrific act. ATF remains committed to bringing individuals responsible for such acts to justice to ensure everyone can worship safely."