San Diego County police department on Saturday stated that they have identified a suspect believed to be behind a shooting at a synagogue that killed one person and wounded three others.
According to The Hill, San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said that the suspect is John Earnest, a San Diego resident with no prior interactions with law enforcement.
“Bill Gore confirms the name of the shooting suspect as 19-year-old John Earnest (DOB 6/8/99). We didn’t find any prior law enforcement contact with Earnest. We’re looking into digital evidence and checking the authenticity of an online manifesto,” the sheriff’s office tweeted.
The sheriff’s office also said that Earnest was also under investigation for an act of arson and vandalism at a nearby mosque.
USA Today last month reported that a man was seen on surveillance video pouring gasoline on a door of a mosque in Escondido, California and setting it on fire before fleeing the scene. “@SDSheriff Gore: We are serving search warrants for the suspect’s home, car and the Chabad of Poway. We are also working with @FBISanDiego, @ATFHQ & @EscondidoPolice to check John Earnest’s possible involvement in the arson and vandalism of a mosque in @Escondido_CA,” the sheriff’s office tweeted.
Police on Saturday night stated that among the three people that were injured was also the synagogue rabbi who was shot in the hand during the attack.
The sheriff’s office said Earnest shot four people Saturday at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, killing one person before reportedly fleeing the scene and being apprehended by police a short distance down the road.
Be the first to comment