Published on: Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Prosecutors in the Southern District of California notified the court on Monday that they would not seek the death penalty for John Earnest, who is charged with killing a woman and shot three others, including a rabbi and young girl, in April 2019 (article available here).
Last month in district court, Earnest admitted he fired an assault rifle inside the synagogue filled with worshipers during Passover in 2019 because of his "hatred for Jews." He also pleaded guilty to a charge of arson in connection with a fire at the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque “for purposes of terrorizing worshippers.” Those guilty pleas come with a sentence of life without parole, plus an additional 121 years to life and another 16 years.