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The Latest: Suspect in California synagogue shooting named

The Latest on a shooting at a synagogue in Southern California (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Authorities have identified the suspect in a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego as John Earnest and say he’s also being investigated in a fire at a mosque in a nearby city last month.

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore told reporters Saturday that the 19-year-old had no prior arrests. He’s accused of killing a woman and wounding three others at Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover.

Gore says his department will work with the FBI and the city of Escondido to investigate Earnest’s possible connection to an arson that caused property damage at Dar-ul-Arqam mosque last month but no injuries.

A person who said they are John Earnest wrote an anti-Jewish screed online that contained some elements not to be believed, like an allegation a YouTube star helped plan and fund the attack.

The post says he was in nursing school and cited the suspects accused of carrying out deadly attacks on mosques New Zealand and Pittsburgh synagogue last year.

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4:15 p.m.

Pittsburgh officials hearing of the synagogue shooting in California are offering sympathy from the city that six months ago was the site of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.

Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said Saturday that their thoughts were with those in the San Diego area and “we understand this heartache all too well.”

Authorities say a 19-year-old man armed with a rifle opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego on Saturday, the last day of Passover. A woman was killed and three other people were wounded.

The attack came exactly six months after 11 people were killed in the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that he had no details on motive for Saturday’s shooting.

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3:30 p.m.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Gov. Gavin Newsom offered their condolences to the Jewish community after a man opened fire Saturday at a synagogue outside San Diego.

Authorities say a 19-year-old man opened fire on Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover, killing one woman and wounding three others, including a girl.

Newsom said “no one should have to fear going to their place of worship.”

Pelosi said on Twitter that she stands with the Jewish community against “this act of hate.”

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that he had no details on motive.

The attack comes six months after 11 people were killed in the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

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2:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump has offered “deepest sympathies to the families of those affected” by a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego.

At the White House, Trump said Saturday that the shooting “looked like a hate crime” and called it “hard to believe.” He spoke from the South Lawn before flying to a rally in Wisconsin.

Authorities say a 19-year-old man opened fire on Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover, killing one woman and wounding three others, including a girl.

They say he reported the shooting and surrendered without incident after an officer pulled him over.

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that he had no details on motive. Authorities say they were reviewing copies of his social media posts.

2:40 p.m.

Authorities say a woman has died and three others are hospitalized in stable condition after a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego.

San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference that a white man entered Chabad of Poway on Saturday and opened fire on worshippers with an AR-type assault weapon.

Gore says an off-duty Border Patrol agent believed to be inside the synagogue shot at the suspect as he fled. The sheriff says the agent didn’t hit him but struck his car.

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit says the 19-year-old suspect called police to report the shooting and a California Highway Patrol officer heard it on a police scanner, saw the suspect and pulled him over. Nisleit says the suspect got out of his car with his hands up and he was taken into custody without incident.

Gore says a woman died from her injuries, while a girl and two men are in the hospital.

1:30 p.m.

A hospital says it’s treating four people injured in a synagogue outside San Diego but didn’t know the extent of their injuries.

Derryl Acosta, a spokesman for Palomar Health Medical Center Hospital, says the four patients were admitted around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said there was no known threat after a man was detained in the shooting. However, he said authorities stepped up patrol at places of worship in the area as a precaution.

The Chabad of Poway was worshipping on the last day of Passover, exactly six months since a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue killed 11 people.

1 p.m.

Authorities say a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego has left people injured but the extent is unclear.

San Diego County sheriff’s office also said Saturday on Twitter that a man has been detained in connection with the shooting at the Chabad of Poway.

A handful of police cars were parked outside the synagogue in the city of Poway, just over 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of San Diego. Crime tape surrounded the street in front of the building.

Officials say deputies were called just before 11:30 a.m.

The shooting came on the last day of Passover and exactly six months since a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue killed 11 people.

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