Two Jewish men have been shot in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles this week. Both victims, alive and in stable condition, were believed to be leaving a synagogue from morning prayers when they were attacked.
The first shooting occurred Wednesday at 9:56 A.M., reports The Yeshiva World, on the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street near Cashio Street. The LAPD informs L.A. TACO that the victim is a white male in his 40s but would not confirm that he is Jewish.
The second shooting occurred less than 24 hours later, Thursday morning around 8:47 A.M., and only a block away on South Bedford Street near Pickford. The LAPD added that the victim is a "male, unknown [ethnicity], in his 70s,” but again declined to confirm that he is Jewish.
The LAPD has since confirmed to L.A. TACO that two suspects have been identified. The suspect in Wednesday's shooting is a white male of unknown age wearing black glasses, a mask, and a sweater. Thursday's shooting suspect was identified as an Asian male of unknown age with a mustache and goatee and was seen leaving the scene in an older model black or brown Hyundai sedan.
L.A. TACO has reached out to Congregation Ohel Moshe, a synagogue located near both shootings, but they declined comment.
As the investigation continues, Pico-Robertson's large Orthodox Jewish community (and LA's wider Jewish community) have been rattled by the events.
"We have seen a rise in antisemitic attacks in recent months, and while there remain questions on the motivation of these particular shootings, we cannot ignore the pain and trauma that they have triggered in the community," City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents District 5 where the shootings took place, told L.A. TACO in a statement. "Let me be clear, hate has absolutely no place in Los Angeles, and Jewish people deserve to live our lives free from the threat of violence and anti-semitism."
Lili Bosse, mayor of adjacent Beverly Hills, tweeted that the police have placed “extra security around our houses of worship in our city.”
"It is deeply concerning that in Los Angeles today, two Jews have been shot in the street in two days, as they were leaving prayers," Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, president of Magen Am, a non-profit security service for the Jewish community, said in a statement emailed to L.A. TACO. "Magen Am has placed all of our protected schools, guards, and volunteers on a heightened alert."
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Update 2/1 7/23 at 9:56 AM: On Friday morning, the LAPD has confirmed that they have arrested a man in connection with the two shootings. The suspect is said to have a history of antisemitism. In a statement, the LAPD said “the facts of the case led to the crime being investigated as a hate crime.”
