One woman has died and three others — including a young girl — have been injured after a “hate crime” shooting at a synagogue in California.
A 19-year-old man armed with a rifle opened fire with an AR-type assault weapon inside the Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of Passover, police said.
The man, whose has been identified by US network NBC as John T. Earnest, allegedly fled in a car and called 911 shortly afterward to say he was involved in the shooting, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit told reporters.
When an officer reached the man on a roadway, “the suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody,” Nisleit said.
Authorities say they were reviewing copies of his social media posts.
San Diego County Sheriff William Gore told reporters an off-duty Border Patrol agent believed to be inside the synagogue shot at the suspect as he fled. The sheriff says the agent didn’t hit him but struck his car.
A rabbi was shot in the hand during the incident as worshippers heroically rushed to intervene, according to NBC.
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