Heroism at the Synagogue The best defense against a killer with a gun is a defender with a gun. ****
https://www.wsj.com/articles/heroism-at-the-synagogue-11556580251
When a gunman filled with anti-Semitism opened fire Saturday at a synagogue in Poway, Calif., worshipers turned into heroes. Sixty-year-old Lori Kaye was killed after jumping between Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and the attacker, according to witnesses. Others shielded nearby children or hurried them to safety. Rabbi Goldstein, who was shot in the hands and lost his right index finger, wrapped his bloody wounds in a prayer shawl and rallied his congregation outside.
Two men confronted the attacker. An Army veteran named Oscar Stewart, 51, shouted and charged the gunman, who ran. An off-duty Border Patrol agent at the service, whom the Rabbi identified as Jonathan Morales, also gave chase, firing his own weapon at the getaway car. The assailant was arrested shortly afterward and is charged with murder and attempted murder.
One person was killed and three injured. But, Rabbi Goldstein said, it could have been much worse. Police say the attacker’s rifle may have malfunctioned. He could have been left unharried to continue killing. “Mr. Stewart risked his life to stop the shooter,” the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said, “and saved lives in the process.”
Mr. Stewart demurred. “I’m not a hero or anything. I just reacted,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “I thank God that he gave me the courage to do what I did.”
In the wake of last year’s attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which killed 11, some places of worship have hired guards. Rabbi Goldstein said his congregation can’t afford that. But he spoke with Mr. Morales “about coming to the synagogue armed, because he’s trained, and I want trained security as much as possible.” The best defense against a killer with a gun is a defender with a gun.
As for the battle with anti-Semitism, may everyone mirror Rabbi Goldstein’s resolve. “The Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion for all faiths. We are so grateful to live here in this country that protects our rights to live openly and proudly as Jews,” he told NBC. “We will not be intimidated or deterred by this terror.”
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