- A rabbi shot in a California synagogue reportedly continued his sermon despite his injury.
- The Los Angeles Times and CNN reported that the rabbi prayed for peace and urged unity before wrapping up his remarks and leaving the synagogue.
- One woman was killed and three people in total were injured in the shooting. Authorities have arrested the suspected shooter, a 19-year-old man.
- Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.
The rabbi who was shot after a gunman opened fire inside a California synagogue continued his sermon despite his injury, telling worshipers to remain strong, The Los Angeles Times reported.
One woman was killed and three in total were injured in the shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, authorities said Saturday.
Police have arrested 19-year-old John Earnest in connection with the attack, and said they are looking at whether the shooting was a hate crime or a civil rights violation.
Authorities are looking into whether Earnest wrote an anti-Semitic manifesto that circulated online Saturday, praising similar mass shootings at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein was injured in the hand and is undergoing surgery, San Diego County Sheriff William Gore told reporters at a press conference.
One member of the congregation whose husband witnessed the shooting, Minoo Anvari, told CNN that the rabbi urged unity and finished his speech despite his injury.
“Rabbi said, ‘We are united,” Anvari said. “This is something bad [that] is happening all over. And we have to believe that this bad thing is real and we don’t have to ignore it. We have to open our eyes. 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.”
A verified GoFundMe campaign has already been set up to raise money for the victims.
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.
Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.