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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect arrested for synagogue shootings in Pico-Robertson area
Police say a suspect was arrested for the shootings.
LOS ANGELES - The man charged with shooting two Jews leaving synagogues in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood last year was sentenced Monday to 35 years in federal prison.
Jaime Tran, 30, of Riverside, pleaded guilty in June to all charges including two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"After years of spewing antisemitic vitriol, the defendant planned and carried out a two-day attack attempting to murder Jews leaving synagogue in Los Angeles," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.
"Vile acts of antisemitic hatred endanger the safety of individuals and entire communities, and allowing such crimes to go unchecked endangers the foundation of our democracy itself. As 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. No Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Federal hate crime charges filed in shooting of 2 Jews leaving synagogues in Pico-Robertson
The shootings happened 24 hours apart. Both victims survived.
Tran admitted espousing antisemitic beliefs and making violent threats toward Jewish people. In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including a statement blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on a Jewish conspiracy.
Tran acknowledged that on the morning of Feb. 15, 2023, he used the internet to research locations with a "kosher market," and planned to shoot someone near such a market because he believed there would be Jewish people in the area.
Tran drove to Pico-Robertson and shot a Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke as he was leaving religious services at a synagogue. Believing the victim was Jewish, Tran shot him at close range in the back, intending to kill him. Tran then drove away from the scene.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man to plead guilty for hate crime shooting
The next morning, Feb. 16, 2023, Tran returned to the Pico-Robertson area, intending to shoot another Jewish person. Tran shot a second Jewish victim, also wearing a yarmulke and leaving a synagogue after attending religious services. Tran shot the victim at close range, intending to kill him, as the victim crossed the street. Tran again left the scene.
Law enforcement arrested Tran on Feb. 17, 2023, and he has remained in custody ever since.
Jewish Federation Los Angeles issued a statement declaring it is "pleased that justice will be served in the horrific antisemitic hate crime committed against two local Jewish community members -- a violent act which shook our community."
"At a time when antisemitism has skyrocketed across the country and in Los Angeles, this news sends a strong message that our city will have zero tolerance for violent acts of antisemitism," the statement said.
City News Service contributed to this report.