Prosecutors have filed federal hate crime charges against a man who allegedly shot two Jewish men while they were exiting religious services in Los Angeles last week.
The suspect, 28-year-old Jaime Tran, has a long history of antisemitism. Four years after he was expelled from dental school, he sent messages to former classmates calling Jews “primitive.” He told one former classmate, “I want you dead, Jew.”
Tran has admitted to prosecutors that he sought to target kosher supermarkets by looking them up on Yelp. He says he picked his victims based on their Jewish “head coverings.” Fortunately, both shooting victims survived.
The first man was shot Wednesday around 10 a.m. near the intersection of Shenandoah and Cashio streets. The second man was shot around 8 a.m. Thursday near Pickford and South Bedford.
The shootings follow numerous incidents of antisemitic hate across the state, including Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 24% last year. Total hate crimes also increased by 13%.
“…Antisemitism and terror are tragically on the rise across our city and across our nation,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “My administration is resolute against hate, and we have made it a chief component of our public safety agenda.”
In addition to rising hate, Angelenos are reeling from a spate of other high-profile gun crimes. On Saturday, just days after the antisemitic shootings, a popular South L.A. bishop was found dead from a gunshot wound in his Hacienda Heights home.
David O’Connell, 69, was a Catholic priest and bishop at both the St. Frances X. Cabrini and Ascension churches. He was known for his tireless work with immigrants and communities of color.
O’Connell was chairman of the interdiocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force and had served as an intermediary during the 1992 riots. Those who knew him describe him as a beloved “peacemaker” and "guiding light."
As of Monday, police had not announced any suspects or motive.
Update: Police have arrested the husband of a housekeeper who worked for Bishop O'Connell.