The woman who passed away at the Congregation Chabad synagogue shooting on Saturday died a hero, according to an account in The San Diego Union Tribune. Witnesses said Lori Kaye, 60, stepped in front of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein during the incident.
Three people sustained injuries. Goldstein was reportedly hurt on the index fingers of both hands. 8-year-old Noya Dahan reportedly sustained shrapnel to her face and leg, while 34-year-old Almog Peretz got shrapnel in the leg while saving several children.
Goldstein said that Kaye threw herself in front of him, Dr. Roneet Lev told the Tribune.
“In the face of senseless hate we commit to live proudly as Jews in this glorious country,” Rabbi Yonah Fradkin, executive director of Chabad of San Diego County, said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “We strongly believe that love is exponentially more powerful than hate. We are deeply shaken by the loss of a true woman of valor, Lori Kaye, who lost her life solely for living as a Jew.”
Goldstein said that he lost his fingers in the incident.
3/ Rabbi Goldstein went on to say his close friend Lori Kay, was shot dead in the moments following. “Then he continued on, and he just killed Lori Kay right there on the spot.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 28, 2019
San Diego deputies said the incident happened just before 11:30 a.m. Deputies responded to 911 calls about a suspect opening fire at the synagogue with an “assault-type rifle.” The shooter left the scene in a vehicle. An off-duty Border Patrol Agent who was at the synagogue fired at the fleeing suspect, deputies said.
The suspect was arrested soon after by San Diego police, and taken into custody without incident, deputies said. This was the last day of Passover.
The shooter was identified as 19-year-old John T. Earnest. Deputies said they were looking into whether he actually wrote an online manifesto, and whether he was involved in the arson and vandalism of a mosque in Escondido, California.
Update #9 @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 mosque in @Escondido_CA.
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) April 28, 2019
A virulent anti-Semitic rant was reportedly posted to 8chan under his name.
There is a GoFundMe page raising money for victims of the shooting. It got $31,718 of a $50,000 goal as of Sunday morning.
Verified @GoFundMe to support the victims of the synagogue shooting in Poway — for any necessary medical operations for the victims, funeral services, and more: https://t.co/wWQLPeFhKs
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 28, 2019
Note: Added more information from Rabbi Goldstein’s point of view. We also mentioned the GoFundMe page.
[Screengrab via NBC News]
