VOA's Steve Herman contributed to this report from the White House. One person was killed and three others were wounded Saturday when a gunman entered a synagogue in Poway, California, and opened fire. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said a white male entered the synagogue shortly before 11:30 a.m. PDT and opened fire with "an AR-type assault weapon." He said four people were hit by gunfire in the attack. "Sadly, one of the individuals succumbed to their wounds," Gore said. He added that the other three victims were in stable condition. Gore said the suspect was fired on by an off-duty Border Patrol agent who saw the man fleeing the scene, but the suspect was not hit. San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said the suspect, identified as John Earnest, apparently contacted police and later surrendered to a San Diego police officer who was en route to the scene of the shooting. He said the suspect was 19 and lives in San Diego. Earnest does not have a criminal record, but police are looking into a claim he made about setting a fire at a mosque in nearby Escondido last month. No one was injured there. A person identifying themselves as John Earnest posted an anti-Jewish screed online about an hour before the attack. The poster described himself as a nursing school student and praised the suspects accused of carrying out deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand last month and at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue Oct. 27. California State University, San Marcos, confirmed Earnest was a student on the dean’s list and said the school was “dismayed and disheartened” that he was suspected in “this despicable act.” Nisleit tweeted earlier that his department was assisting in the investigation, and that while there were no known threats, "in an abundance of caution, we will be providing extra patrol at places of worship." Saturday was the final day of the Jewish Passover holiday. Poway is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of San Diego. Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, said his agency “will take every appropriate action to assist the investigation and ensure that those affected by this tragedy receive the closure and justice they deserve.” President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on the south lawn of the White House, said, "My deepest sympathies go to the families who were affected." He added that the attack "looks like a hate crime." The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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