LOS ANGELES _ The deadly shooting attack at a synagogue in Poway, Calif., on Saturday underscores concerns about rising incidents of anti-Jewish hate across the nation.
Authorities have not provided details about the alleged shooter. But the mayor of Poway said the attack, which killed one person and left three others wounded, appears to be motivated by hate.
"I understand that this was someone with hate in their heart, hate for the Jewish community," he said of the attacker.
The incident comes six months after a man with a history of posting anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant social media messages opened fire at a temple in Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and wounding six more.
Studies have shown the number of anti-Semitic incidents and crimes has been rising rapidly after years of decline.
_ The Anti-Defamation League has tracked anti-Semitic incidents since 1979, drawing on reports from victims, police and news publications. The worst year was 1994, with 2,066 incidents. By 2013, the total fell to 751. It has been rising ever since, with the biggest all-time annual jump coming last year, when the tally climbed 57 percent to 1,986. The majority of those incidents were harassment, which rose 41 percent to 1,015 incidents, including 163 bomb threats against Jewish community centers and synagogues. Vandalism rose 86 percent to 952 cases. The number of physical assaults actually fell 47 percent _ from 36 to 19.
_ Los Angeles recorded its highest level of reports of hate crimes in a decade, with a nearly 13 percent increase in 2018 over the year before. Last year, L.A. tallied 289 hate crimes, compared with 256 in 2017, according to LAPD statistics gathered by researchers at Cal State San Bernardino. Members of the LGBTQ community, African Americans and those of Jewish faith were the most frequently targeted, according to the newly released report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.
_ An FBI report released in November, 2018 detailing hate crimes across more than 3,000 police agencies showed a more than 17 percent uptick in 2017, fueled by increases in attacks against religious and racial minorities. The count documented 7,175 hate crimes in 2017. The tally was 1,054 higher than the year before. It included a 37 percent increase in anti-Jewish crimes, a 24 percent increase in attacks on Latinos and a nearly 16 percent rise in crimes against African Americans.
The Poway shooting has other law enforcement agencies taking measures.
"We're closely monitoring the synagogue shooting in Poway and communicating with our local, state & federal partners. At this time there's no nexus to Los Angeles, but in an abundance of caution, we will conduct high visibility patrols around synagogues & other houses of worship," the Los Angeles Police Department said on Twitter.
