POWAY, Calif. _ As many as four people have reportedly been shot at the Chabad of Poway on Saturday.
A man was taken into custody for questioning, sheriff's officials said. His name was not released.
The victims were taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, Calif. Their conditions were unknown.
Sheriff's deputies first warned about a man with a gun in the area of the Jewish synagogue on Chabad Way about noon local time.
"Please stay clear of the area and allow deputies to safely do their job. Thank you for your patience and cooperation," the sheriff's tweet said.
Authorities have taped off the area around Chabad and a command post has been set up at Chaparral Elementary School just north of the congregation.
It was unclear where in the synagogue the shooting occurred.
Jewish prayers are held at 10 a.m. each Saturday, then a children's program at 11 a.m., according to the synagogue's website. A sit-down Kiddush and Farbrengen _ traditional Jewish gatherings _ were to follow.
Several neighbors reported hearing the gunshots, and some were evacuated from nearby homes to the school temporarily as a precaution.
San Diego police were keeping watch on other local synagogues as a precaution. "No known threats," Chief David Nisleit said on Twitter, "however in an abundance of caution, we will be providing extra patrol and places of worship.
No further information was immediately available.
The shooting came on the last day of Passover, one of the most sacred holidays in the Jewish faith. The eight-day festival commemorates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt and is typically observed with a number of rituals, including Seder meals, the removal of leavened products from the home, and the sharing of the exodus story.
It also came six months to the day after a gunman killed 11 people and wounded seven others during Saturday morning Shabbat services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
