Police seek shooter who wounded 2 at LA synagogue

Discussion

October 30, 2009

Anonymous The News Courier Fri Oct 30, 2009, 10:40 AM CDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police on Friday pressed forward with their hunt for a gunman, a day after he wounded two men in the parking garage of a Los Angeles synagogue.

Mori Ben-Nissan, 38, and Allen Lasry, 53, were shot in the legs in the parking garage underneath the Adat Yeshurun Valley Sephardic Orthodox synagogue in North Hollywood as they arrived for Thursday’s morning service.

Both were hospitalized in good condition following the attack, which police say took place in a stairwell leading up to the synagogue sanctuary. Frightened worshippers heard gunshots and screams before the bleeding victims stumbled in.

The gunman fled on foot and police briefly held a teenager who matched a vague description of the attacker. But they released the 17-year-old a short time later and continued their search for the assailant.

A motive for the attack remained unclear and city leaders moved to calm fears the attack was part of any organized anti-Semitic violence. Still, police beefed up patrols of Jewish communities as part of a citywide alert before saying the attack appeared to be isolated.

The victims, who were hospitalized in good condition, told police the attacker did not speak or take anything from them.

Initial security camera footage from the synagogue shows the suspect but not the shooting, and the quality is too poor for investigators to identify the man, Cmdr. Jorge Villegas said, but detectives later found more security cameras at the synagogue and were reviewing those tapes.

Police said a slew of possible motives was being considered, including attempted robbery or a personal business dispute.

LAPD First Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators were trying to determine whether a similar suspect might have been involved in robberies or other crimes in the area.

Michael Bloom, 30, an Orthodox organizer with Hatzolah, a Jewish volunteer medical response team, grew up in the diverse neighborhood. He said there had been instances of Jews being insulted as they walked to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

“This has been going on for years. Everything from ’death to Israel’ to ’dirty Jew,”’ he said. “There are gangs in the area. It’s not the safest neighborhood.”

Text Only

State and Nation

Man in crane at Texas college says he's armed
Police say the man climbed the 150-foot crane late Monday morning.

May 28, 2012
Obama to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day
The president was to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, and then commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

May 28, 2012
Dragon arrives at space station in historic first
Astronauts Donald Pettit and Andre Kuipers used the space station's robot arm to snare the Dragon after a few hours of extra maneuvering.

May 25, 2012
U.S. forecasters: 9 to 15 storms in hurricane season
Though this season isn't expected to be as busy as last year's above-average season, federal officials warned coastal residents to start stocking up on hurricane supplies and forming evacuation plans anyway.

May 24, 2012
Alabama students below national average in reading
May 24, 2012
Alabama 10th highest in rate of injury deaths
May 24, 2012
Gen .Wheeler's Pond Spring home reopens Saturday
May 24, 2012
State memorial to War on Terror victims updated
May 24, 2012
Seafood industry fighting for life on coast
May 24, 2012
Military leaders, Clinton push for sea treaty
The United States is the only major nation that has refused to sign the treaty, which has been endorsed by 161 countries and the European Union.

May 23, 2012
More State and Nation Headlines

State and Nation

Search Results

Discussion

Police seek shooter who wounded 2 at LA synagogue

Will your family take a summer vacation this year?

Site Map

Contact Us