LOS ANGELES — A man accused of shooting two Jews as they left Los Angeles synagogues this week was charged on Friday with federal hate crimes.
Jaime Tran, 28, allegedly carried out the attacks on Wednesday and Thursday morning, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a press conference.
“In the past two days, our community has experienced two horrific acts,” he added.
“A subject motivated by anti-Semitism committed two very horrific acts against individuals for their Jewish faith,” he added.
Both victims wore clothing that identified them by their religion, such as black jackets and hats, Estrada said.
Tran, arrested Thursday night, told police he searched the internet for a “kosher market” and decided to shoot someone nearby, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI.
The defendant also admitted to shooting another person the day before, according to the affidavit.
Tran was originally scheduled to appear in federal court Friday afternoon without seeking a plea bargain, prosecutors say.
Tran’s public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
The first victim was shot point-blank in the lower back, Estrada said. The second was shot in the upper arm, also at close range. In both cases, the shots were fired from a vehicle.
Tran said he picked the victims because of what they were wearing on their heads, according to the FBI affidavit.
Tran has a “history of anti-Semitism and threatening behavior,” according to the statement, which cites a review of his emails, text messages and unspecified complaints.
In 2022, he emailed classmates using offensive language against Jews and threatened a former Jewish classmate, sending repeated messages such as “someone is going to kill you, Jew” and “I want you dead, Jew,” according to the document.