Christopher BergPoway, CA – An active shooter at a synagogue near San Diego was stopped by an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent who engaged the shooter in a gunfight.
The shooting happened Saturday at around 11:30 a.m. at the Chabad of Poway Jewish congregation during a Passover celebration, according to Daily Mail.
The unidentified 19-year-old gunman entered the synagogue while wearing a tactical vest, a helmet, and opened fire with an “AR-type assault weapon”, according to CBS8.
The gunman shot four people, then an armed off-duty Border Patrol agent drew his weapon and returned fire.
The suspect fled for his life and called 911 to say he was involved in a shooting, according to CBS8.
San Diego Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived and took the gunman into custody at gunpoint.
One of the female shooting victims has succumbed to her injuries.
“This shooter was engaged by people in the congregation and those brave people certainly prevented this from being a much worse tragedy,” Poway Mayor Steve Vaus announced at the press conference.
Mayor Vaus said that the attack appears to be a hate crime based on undisclosed statements made by the gunman during the attack.
President Donald Trump told the press that based on the information he has, the attack appears to be a hate crime.
“My deepest sympathies go to the families who were affected,” President Trump said. “It looks like the person has been apprehended, no more danger, and law enforcement has done a fantastic job.”
President Trump took to Twitter to thank the Border Patrol agent.
“Sincerest THANK YOU to our great Border Patrol Agent who stopped the shooter at the Synagogue in Poway, California,” the President tweeted. “He may have been off duty but his talents for Law Enforcement weren’t!”
The shooting occurred just hours after the New York Times was forced to apologize for publishing an anti-Semitic cartoon in their Thursday edition.
Senator Bernie Sanders has responded to the shooting with a call to “take serious action to protect Americans from gun violence.” Failed U.S. Senate Candidate and convicted criminal Beto O’Rourke echoed the call to action on gun violence.
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