Political and religious leaders condemned Saturday’s attack and voiced their support of the Jewish community.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., tweeted: “Yet again a place of worship is the target of senseless gun violence and hate. Anti-Semitism is real in this country and we must not be silent – enough is enough.”
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., also posted on the social platform, condemning the act of violence: “Tragic news that a gunman has attacked Chabad of Poway synagogue, on this, the last day of Passover, a day that is supposed to be a celebration of faith and freedom. I am thinking of, and praying for, those hurt and affected.”
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democratic presidential candidate, said the latest synagogue shooting underscores the need for tougher gun laws.
“This is one more demonstration that we have a new normal, and that we have become so divided that . . . we are allowing the divisions to lead to hate and allowing the hate to lead to violence,” Hickenlooper, who was governor during the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012 that killed 12 people, told reporters after speaking at a labor forum in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon. “It is a combination of President Trump’s leadership at the top but tied into some of the real challenges we have around issues of mental health. People seem so vulnerable to the hatred.”
The Anti-Defamation League, which has recorded mass murders of Jews in the United States for decades, also vowed to work with law enforcement to monitor the situation.
“The Jewish community again is devastated,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the organization’s CEO, said Saturday. “It’s heartbreaking to see yet another tragedy on Shabbat, on Passover, exactly 6 months after the Tree of Life.”
(c) 2019, The Washington Post · Deanna Paul, Katie Mettler 
{Matzav.com}