John Earnest, Poway synagogue shooting suspect, charged with murder, hate crimes: reports

John Earnest, the suspect in a shooting at a synagogue in Poway, Calif., was charged with five counts on Monday, three of them hate crimes in connection to an incident that killed one person and wounded three on Saturday, reports said.

Earnest, a 19-year-old San Diego resident, has been charged with the murder of Lori Kaye — a charge that carries a “special circumstance,” because prosecutors allege she was targeted for her religion.

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Earnest also faces three charges of attempted murder — all of them are being treated as hate crimes.

The suspect also faces one count of “use of explosives in acts of terrorism in specified places,” for an incident that allegedly took place on March 23.

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READ MORE: 1 dead, 3 injured in shooting at California synagogue – officials

A law enforcement source told ABC News that Earnest has been linked to the burning of a mosque.

The shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue unfolded on Saturday morning when a gunman entered the building and fired an AR-style assault weapon.

Lori Kaye, 60, was killed and three others were hurt, including Rabbi Yishoel Goldstein, as well as an eight-year-old girl and her uncle.

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On Monday, Earnest’s parents said the suspect and five siblings were raised in a family and community that rejected hate.

“Our son’s actions were informed by people we do not know, and ideas we do not hold,” the unidentified parents said in a statement.

The FBI said it received tips about a social media post that threatened violence against Jews, minutes ahead of the attack at the Poway synagogue.

The tips were not specific about the threat’s location.

— With files from The Associated Press