Sep 30, 2021 - Politics & Policy

California synagogue shooter sentenced to life in prison

Shawna Chen

Photo of the exterior of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue on a sunny day — The Chabad of Poway Synagogue after in Poway, California after a gunman opened fire in April 2019. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

The 22-year-old man who committed a mass shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, AP reports.

Why it matters: It's one of several hate crimes that have targeted the Jewish community in recent years.

After killing one worshipper and wounding three others with a semiautomatic rifle on the last day of Passover, John T. Earnest told a 911 dispatcher that he was "defending our nation against the Jewish people."

Details: Earnest avoided the death penalty through an agreement with prosecutors.

He also pleaded guilty to federal charges after the Justice Department said it would not seek the death penalty. He will be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 28.

Add Axios on Google

California synagogue shooter sentenced to life in prison

What to read next