A California man who posted an antisemitic manifesto online before fatally shooting a Jewish woman at a synagogue in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison.
Not only was John Earnest sentenced to life on the federal murder count, he also got 30 years behind bars for attempting to light a mosque on fire.
All told, he pleaded guilty to 54 hate-crime counts, four firearms charges and 55 counts of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act.
Earnest opened fire on more than 50 members of the congregation at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, in April 2019, killing one woman and injuring three others, including an 8-year-old child, according to court documents.
The 22-year-old murderer already had been sentenced earlier this year to life in prison without the possibility of parole on state murder charges.
During a worship service, he walked in with a Smith & Wesson MP 15 assault rifle and unloaded a 10-round magazine before congregants rushed at him. Earnest then drove away in his car, called 911 and told police that he had “just shot up a synagogue.”
Earnest had been planning the attack for weeks and he posted a manifesto online shortly before the carnage, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
“In the manifesto, Earnest made many antisemitic and anti-Muslim statements, including expressing a desire to kill people because of their Jewish faith, and regret that he could not kill more,” the department said.
He also admitted to the court that the month before the synagogue attack he had tried to set fire to the Dar-ul-Argam mosque in Escondido “because of his hatred of Muslims and the religious character of the building.”
At the time, seven missionaries were asleep in the building but officials say none were injured.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the “horrific crime was an assault on fundamental principles of our nation.”
“All people in this country should be able to freely exercise their religion without fear of being attacked,” Mr. Garland said in a statement.
Earnest‘s attorney, Patrick Joseph Burke, did not immediately respond on Wednesday to a request for comment.
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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