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KPBS Midday Edition

Community Comes Together In Response To Poway Synagogue Shooting

A group of Poway residents bring flowers and cards to a memorial outside of the Chabad of Poway synagogue, Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Poway, Calif. A man opened fire Saturday inside the synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of a major Jewish holiday.
Denis Poroy / AP
A group of Poway residents bring flowers and cards to a memorial outside of the Chabad of Poway synagogue, Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Poway, Calif. A man opened fire Saturday inside the synagogue near San Diego as worshippers celebrated the last day of a major Jewish holiday.
Monday's Midday Edition looks at how the local chapter of the Anti-Defamation League and the city of Poway are responding to the shooting, how prosecutors investigate and charge possible hate crimes, the history of anti-Semitism and how white supremacists are radicalizing online.

The funeral for the woman killed in a shooting at a synagogue in Poway Saturday will take place Monday afternoon.

Three others were injuredwhen a man armed with an AR-style assault rifle opened fire at the Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover.

It's being investigated as a possible hate crime.

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John T. Earnest, 19, of Rancho Peñasquitos is suspected of carrying out the shooting and is in custody. He faces charges of murder and attempted murder. He's also being charged with arson on a house of worship in connection to a fire set at an Escondido mosque in March.

On Monday's Midday Edition, how the local chapter of the Anti-Defamation League and the city of Poway are responding to the shooting, how prosecutors investigate and charge possible hate crimes, the history of anti-Semitism and how white supremacists are radicalizing online.

The Anti-Defamation League San Diego responds to Poway synagogue shooting

The Anti-Defamation League in San Diego and Imperial Counties is putting out a call to action for the community to stand together against hate and anti-Semitism.

Tammy Gillies, the regional director of the San Diego chapter of the ADL, discusses how the organization is responding to the shooting. The ADL fights anti-Semitism and bigotry of all kinds.

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The ADL is holding a vigil on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Poway High School stadium.

Investigating a possible hate crime

An online statement describing acts of hate against Jews and Muslims has not been officially linked to the Poway synagogue shooting suspect. But authorities say they are examining the statement as part of the investigation.

The statement expresses hatred for Jews, describes the decision to attack the Chabad of Poway and makes the claim that the writer of the online statement also set fire to a Mosque last month in Escondido.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan will discuss how a possible hate crime is investigated and prosecuted.

Poway community reacts to synagogue shooting

"This is not who Poway is." That reaction from Mayor Steve Vaus on the shooting at the Chabad of Poway has been quoted in media outlets across the nation. Vaus discusses how the city's residents are responding to the shooting.

Link between internet radicalization and violence

In light of recent acts of terrorism rooted in white supremacy, the Southern Poverty Law Center is examining the link between the violence and how the internet is being used as a vehicle to radicalize extremists. Heidi Beirich, director of Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, will discuss the their findings.

The history of anti-semitism

Anti-Semitic violence has a long, sad history — one that Rabbi Scott Meltzer, of Ohr Shalom Synagogue in Hillcrest, has studied extensively.

In a sad coincidence, Meltzer was already scheduled to speak at San Diego State University Monday about anti-Semitism in a post-Holocaust world. He discusses many of the tropes and conspiracy theories that fuel hatred and fear against Jewish people.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.