Man Arrested In Shootings Outside LA Synagogues Investigated As Hate Crimes

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man suspected of targeting and shooting Jewish men outside West Los Angeles synagogues is now in custody, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Friday.

Authorities arrested Jaime Tran, who faces hate crime allegations in the shooting, according to a Department of Justice affidavit.

"In a Mirandized, recorded interview, Tran acknowledged having intentionally shot the two victims," federal investigators wrote in a criminal complaint against Tran. "Tran said he had selected his victims because of their “head gear.” Tran has a history of antisemitic and threatening conduct. For example, in December 2022, Tran emailed dozens of his former classmates, describing Jewish people as “primitive” and encouraging his classmates to blame any “inconvenience” or lost revenue from the COVID-19 lockdowns on the “Iranian Jew.”

Between August and November of 2022, TRAN repeatedly texted a former classmate antisemitic and threatening messages, including: “Someone is going to kill you, Jew” and “I want you dead, Jew.”

Two shootings of men leaving Pico-Robertson area synagogues Wednesday and Thursday sent shockwaves through a community that has seen an uptick in hate crimes targeting Jews. It prompted police to increase patrols in the area and calls for a crackdown on hate crimes.

The case is being investigated as a hate crime, the LAPD confirmed Friday.

"Los Angeles Police Department's investigation led to the identification of a suspect believed to have committed both shootings which launched an exhaustive search. The facts of the case led to this crime being investigated as a hate crime," the department said in a written statement. "The suspect was tracked to an area in Riverside County and investigators began working collaboratively with Federal and regional partners to locate him, resulting in the suspect being taken into custody without incident. Detectives recovered several items of evidence, to include a rifle and a handgun."

Federal civil rights charges will be filed against the man, who "has a history of animus towards the Jewish community," according to a statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

“These attacks against members of our Jewish community in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood are absolutely unacceptable," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “At a time of increased anti-Semitism, these acts have understandably set communities on edge."

"Now, my pledge to the Pico-Robertson community and to the City of Los Angeles as a whole, is that we will fight this hatred vigorously and work every day to defeat it," she added. Thank you to the officers of the Los Angeles Police Department who have been investigating these incidents and who will be stepping up patrols around Jewish places of worship and surrounding neighborhoods.

“We are a strong city – and we are strongest when we stand united against hate, together.”

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Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wrote on his Twitter page that his department "will increase patrol checks around Jewish synagogues and Jewish centers in our jurisdictions. Patrol stations will remain vigilant and report any threats of violence to Major Crimes."

The first shooting occurred around 9:55 a.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street, near Pico Boulevard, between Robertson and La Cienega boulevards. A man in his 40s was shot in the back while walking to his vehicle, authorities told the Los Angeles Times.

The second occurred at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of South Bedford Street, two blocks south of Pico Boulevard and one block east of Shenandoah Street. The man was shot in an arm, The Times reported.

Both victims survived. Following the shootings, police warned people to be on the lookout for a suspect with a mustache and goatee, driving a possible white compact vehicle.

Anyone with information on the shootings was urged to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222- 8477 or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.