A California man was sentenced Monday to 35 years in prison for shooting and wounding two Jewish men as they left synagogues in Los Angeles last year, federal prosecutors said.
Jaime Tran, 30, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, the U.S. attorneyB次元官网网址檚 office said in a statement.
The February 2023 shootings had raised fears among the cityB次元官网网址檚 Jewish community after officials said the victims were targeted because they wore clothing that identified their faith, including black coats and head coverings. Both men survived.
Tran told law enforcement that he looked online for a B次元官网网址渒osher marketB次元官网网址� and decided to shoot someone nearby, according to an FBI affidavit.
Tran had a B次元官网网址渉istory of antisemitic and threatening conduct,B次元官网网址� the affidavit said, citing a review of emails, text messages and unspecified reports.
B次元官网网址淭argeting people for death based solely on their religious and ethnic background brings back memories of the darkest chapters in human history,B次元官网网址� U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. B次元官网网址淲e hope the sentence imposed today sends a strong message to all in our community that we will not tolerate antisemitism and hate of any sort.B次元官网网址�
In 2022, the FBI affidavit said, Tran emailed former classmates using insulting language about Jewish people and also threatened a Jewish former classmate, repeatedly sending messages like B次元官网网址淪omeone is going to kill you, JewB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淚 want you dead, Jew.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎s millions of Jewish Americans prepare to observe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to aggressively confronting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal acts motivated by antisemitism, or by hatred of any kind,B次元官网网址� U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the statement. B次元官网网址淣o Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime.B次元官网网址�
