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California Man Sentenced To Life In Prison After 2019 Poway Synagogue Attack

   DailyWire.com
POWAY, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 29: Flowers, candles and mementos are left outside the funeral for Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was killed inside the Chabad of Poway synagogue by a gunman who opened fire during services, on April 29, 2019 in Poway, California. The suspect will be arraigned tomorrow. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Mario Tama/Getty Images

A federal judge sentenced a 22-year-old man who opened fire inside a California synagogue in 2019 to life in prison plus 30 more years on Tuesday.

The shooter had pleaded guilty to 113 federal counts related to hate crimes, civil rights, and weapons violations before his sentencing. He is now serving two consecutive life sentences after he pleaded guilty to numerous state crimes of murder, attempted murder, and arson, according to NBC San Diego.

The Department of Justice announced the shooter’s federal sentence in a press release on Tuesday.

“All people in this country should be able to freely exercise their religion without fear of being attacked,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “This defendant’s horrific crime was an assault on fundamental principles of our nation.  The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to confronting unlawful acts of hate and to holding perpetrators of hate-fueled violence accountable.”

On April 27, 2019, the gunman entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue and opened fire on the congregation, killing one and injuring three others, including an 8-year-old child. The DOJ summarized the attack:

According to court documents, after several weeks of planning, on the morning of April 27, 2019, [the gunman] drove to the Chabad of Poway synagogue, where members of the congregation were gathered for religious worship. [The gunman] entered the building armed with a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 assault rifle that was fully loaded with a 10-round magazine. He wore a chest rig which contained five additional magazines, each loaded with ten rounds of ammunition. [The gunman] opened fire, killing one person and injuring three other members of the congregation, including a then eight-year-old child. After [the gunman] emptied his initial magazine, several congregants rushed at [him]. [The gunman] fled in his car and, shortly after, called 911 and confessed that he had “just shot up a synagogue.” [The gunman] was apprehended by local law enforcement who found the rifle and additional ammunition in his car.

Investigators found a manifesto written by [the gunman] and posted on the Internet shortly before the attack. In the manifesto, [the gunman] made many anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim statements, including expressing a desire to kill people because of their Jewish faith, and regret that he could not kill more.

The shooter also admitted to targeting Muslims in a March 24, 2019, arson attack on the Dar-ul-Arqam mosque in Escondido, California. Seven people were sleeping in the mosque when the attacker attempted to set fire to the building, but none were injured.

“Hate has no place in our society and bias-motivated violence will not be tolerated,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “By committing these heinous and senseless acts of violence against Jewish and Muslim community members, this defendant violated our most basic American ideal: all persons are created equal. The Department of Justice is committed to aggressively prosecuting bias-motivated violence and will continue partnering with state and local law enforcement to ensure that those who seek to engage in violence based on bias are held accountable for their crimes.”

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