California man gets life sentence for fatal synagogue attack

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 22-year-old achromatic supremacist was denied a accidental to code a courtroom earlier a justice sentenced him Thursday to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole for bursting into a Southern California synagogue connected the past time of Passover successful 2019 with a semiautomatic rifle, sidesplitting 1 worshipper and wounding 3 others.

An statement with prosecutors that spared John T. Earnest the decease punishment near small suspense astir the outcome, but the proceeding provided 13 victims and families a accidental to code the slayer and gave a consciousness of finality to a lawsuit illustrating however online hatred code tin pb to extremist violence. Many gave heart-wrenching accounts of however their lives were upended and however determined they were to persevere contempt specified devastating loss.

Earnest’s attorney, John O’Connell, said his lawsuit wanted to marque a connection but San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh refused, saying helium did not privation to make “a governmental forum” for achromatic supremacist views. Earnest has not spoken publically oregon disavowed earlier statements.

“I’m not going to fto him usage this arsenic a level to adhd to his celebrity,” the justice said, pointing to comments that Earnest made to constabulary erstwhile helium was arrested, manus gestures to the assemblage during a erstwhile proceeding and his probation report.

Earnest, who was tied to a instrumentality that prevented him from turning to the audience, showed nary disposable absorption during the two-hour proceeding arsenic speakers called him a lowlife coward, an evil carnal and a monster.

A authoritative asked Deddeh to reconsider his refusal to fto Earnest talk aft conferring with the defence lawyer astir the substance of his remarks, but the justice didn’t budge.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, who listened to victims from a front-row seat, told reporters that Earnest’s planned connection was “more spewing of hatred and propaganda” and that the justice made the close call. The authoritative asked the justice to reconsider lone to defender against immoderate anticipation that Earnest alleges helium was treated improperly, she said.

Earnest’s court-appointed lawyer declined to talk with reporters. His parents did not attend.

Minutes aft the shooting, Earnest called a 911 dispatcher to accidental helium changeable up the synagogue to prevention achromatic people. “I’m defending our federation against the Jewish people, who are trying to destruct each achromatic people,” helium said.

The San Diego antheral was inspired by wide shootings astatine the Tree of Life Congregation successful Pittsburgh and 2 mosques successful Christchurch, New Zealand, soon earlier helium attacked Chabad of Poway, a synagogue adjacent San Diego, connected April 27, 2019. He frequented 8chan, a acheronian country of the internet, for those disaffected by mainstream societal media sites to station extremist, racist and convulsive views.

Earnest legally bought a semi-automatic firearm successful San Diego a time earlier the attack, according to a national affidavit. He entered the synagogue with 10 bullets loaded and 50 much connected his vest but fled aft struggling to reload. Worshippers chased him to his car.

Earnest killed 60-year-old Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was deed doubly successful the foyer, and wounded an 8-year-old girl, her uncle and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was starring a work connected the large Jewish holiday.

Dr. Howard Kaye, Lori’s hubby of 32 years, said helium has continued his rheumatology signifier to assistance radical heal careless of their backgrounds successful keeping with his religion but that it was hard for him and their girl to transportation connected astatine times. Lori was progressive successful charities and sacrificed a banking vocation to rise their daughter, helium said.

“This is simply a superior idiosyncratic and a fantastic woman,” Howard Kaye said.

Hannah Kaye said her parent was unfortunate of “an past hatred” of Jews. She recounted their past time unneurotic connected a sojourn location from assemblage successful exquisite detail: their “deep and humorous conversation” successful the car, a last hug arsenic her parent dressed for services and however she held her mother’s caput and said she loved her arsenic she laic dying.

As she entered her seventh decade, Lori Gilbert-Kaye had tons of desires, Hannah said, including wanting to be instrumentality school, thrust a blistery aerial balloon and ain a edifice that served her father’s barbecue.

“She wanted to unrecorded different day, she wanted to survive,” Hannah said of her mother’s past moments.

Almog Peretz, who was changeable with his 8-year-old niece, was emotionally unprepared to be the proceeding but a Hebrew translator work his connection astir however the occurrence killed “my assemblage and soul.” He said his dreams are haunted and that others present specify him arsenic a “terrorist’s victim.”

“I person nary information to spot things to the end,” Peretz said, speaking of enactment and friendships.

Earnest’s parents issued a connection aft the shooting expressing daze and sadness, calling their son’s actions a “terrifying mystery.” Their lad was an accomplished student, jock and instrumentalist who was studying to beryllium a caregiver astatine California State University, San Marcos.

“To our large shame, helium is present portion of the past of evil that has been perpetrated connected Jewish radical for centuries,” they said.

In a connection issued precocious Thursday, the household said “our hearts are dense and our sadness profound.”

“Right now, we cannot adhd to the words we person antecedently expressed, but to accidental that the hatred that motivated him volition not win. Love indispensable win,” the connection said.

His condemnation for execution and attempted execution astatine the synagogue and arson for an earlier occurrence astatine a adjacent mosque transportation a beingness condemnation without parole, positive 137 years successful prison.

Earnest besides faces sentencing successful national tribunal connected Dec. 28, having pleaded blameworthy aft the Justice Department said it wouldn’t question the decease penalty. Defense attorneys and prosecutors are recommending a beingness sentence.

Stephan, the territory attorney, said prosecution successful authorities and national tribunal “makes maine slumber amended astatine night.”

The onslaught was “racism, antisemitism and each benignant of hatred each wrapped into one,” she said.