Accused San Diego synagogue shooter to face trial on murder
SAN DIEGO — A San Diego judge on Friday ordered a 20-year-old man to stand trial on charges of murder and attempted murder in the April shootings at a Poway synagogue.
John Timothy Earnest, of Rancho Penasquitos, also faces one count of arson from a fire at an Escondido mosque on March 24.
A preliminary hearing for Earnest wrapped up after a final prosecution witness testified, through an interpreter, about being shot in a leg at Chabad of Poway on April 27.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh determined there was enough evidence presented at the hearing for Earnest’s case to move forward. Because of special-circumstance allegations that the crimes were committed as a hate crime, prosecutors have the option of seeking the death penalty in his case.
That decision has not yet been made, Deputy District Attorney Leonard Trinh said after the hearing.
Authorities believe the shootings were prompted by Earnest’s hatred of Jewish people, as expressed in an online “open letter” that he posted before the incident. In the letter, he said he made up his mind to commit the shooting after 51 people were killed and 49 injured in a March 15 suspected white supremacist shooting at a New Zealand mosque.
Earnest’s parents, who did not attend the hearing, issued an emailed statement Friday through an attorney, saying in part that, “As the justice systems conducts court hearings to hold our son accountable for his actions, we would like people to know that we are deeply sorry that the victims of our son’s heinous actions are having to relive the awful events of that day.”
The statement continued, “We are deeply sorry that law enforcement officers and medical personal are having to recall the terrible images they saw as they give testimony at the preliminary hearing.”
Witnesses testified on Thursday, the first day of the hearing, about the “chaos” that erupted inside the synagogue when the gunman opened fire, killing one person and wounding three others. Earnest was arrested in Rancho Bernardo shortly after the 11:20 a.m. shooting, with an AR15 rifle, tactical helmet and five 10-cartridge magazines in his car.