Two separate shootings of Jewish men in LA over the course of 24 hours are being investigated as hate crimes
The Los Angeles Police Department and FBI are investigating a pair of shootings of Jewish men as hate crimes after they left synagogues in the Pico-Robertson district less than 24 hours apart, Mayor Karen Bass said.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with Thursday night’s shooting, police said. Federal civil rights charges will be filed against the man, who “has a history of hostility toward the Jewish community,” according to a statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
“My heart goes out to the Jewish community in Pico-Robertson,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. It is very appalling to see another shooting occur while members of their community leave their prayers…Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.”
The suspect was tracked to an area in Riverside County and investigators have begun working in cooperation with federal and regional partners, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspect was arrested at 5:45 p.m., police said.
Detectives recovered several pieces of evidence, including a rifle and a handgun, police said.
The suspect’s name has not been released.
The first shooting happened around 9:55 a.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street near Pico Boulevard between Robertson and La Cienega boulevards.
The second happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of South Bedford Street, two blocks south of Pico Boulevard and one block east of Shenandoah Street.
Both victims survived.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced before the arrest that “police resources are being reallocated to provide a highly visible and deterrent presence in the area.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wrote on his Twitter page that his department will “increase patrols around synagogues and Jewish centers in our jurisdiction. Patrol stations will remain vigilant and report threats of violence to major crimes.”
Bass said in a statement that “Semitism and hate crimes have no place in our city or our country.”
He stressed, “Those involved in both will be caught and held fully accountable. At a time of heightened anti-Semitism, these acts have understandably put communities on edge.”
More from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles:
We continue to monitor two separate shooting incidents involving our members
The Los Angeles Jewish community and our law enforcement partners learned that
A single suspect accused of being responsible for both shootings has been arrested. We are incredibly
Grateful for the action of the law enforcement agencies in apprehending the suspect.
We also learned that the suspect has a history of hostility toward the Jewish community
And these incidents will be considered hate crimes. As such, we are also encouraged to stay
The US attorney will reportedly take over the case and file a federal civil rights complaint
Violation
Our Community Security Initiative continues to communicate with local law enforcement agencies
Ensuring our Jewish community is kept safe.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or at http://www.lacrimestoppers.org.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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