Good morning, Bulletin readers. Some authorities now believe that the gunfire that shattered Jersey City on Tuesday may not have been a random attack, but rather could go down as the latest hate-fueled mass shooting. Please read on for the latest details.
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WHAT TO KNOW TODAY
Jersey City assailants “targeted” Jewish shop, mayor says. Law enforcement sources say one of the two perpetrators had an unspecified connection to the Black Hebrew Israelites, a hate group not known for acts of mass violence, and had posted anti-Semitic messages. New Jersey’s attorney general would not comment on a motive for the attack on the kosher grocery store, which left three people dead following the earlier slaying of a police officer and possible murder of a livery driver. But Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, was unequivocal: “There is no question that this is a hate crime.”
Thousands turned out to mourn the victims. One of those killed in the store was Moshe Deutch, 24, a rabbinical student from Brooklyn. The crowd at his funeral yesterday at an orthodox synagogue spilled out into the street, filling most of an entire city block. Family members identified another victim as Leah Mindel Ferencz, 33, who owned the market with her husband. A delivery worker, Miguel Jason Rodriguez, 49, an immigrant from Ecuador, also died.
“Ghost gun” measure included in the National Defense Authorization Act. In the latest version of the Defense Department spending package for 2020, which passed the House on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security would be required to complete threat assessments on whether terrorists could use untraceable, DIY firearms to circumvent gun restrictions.
Sandy Hook families’ lawsuit against Remington has a trial date. Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis sided with the plaintiffs in scheduling the trial for September 2021, denying the gunmaker’s request for a longer timeline. The families contend that Remington violated state law by irresponsibly marketing assault-style rifles to civilians. Here’s a refresher on the case’s potentially momentous consequences for the gun industry.
California’s new ammunition background check system has denied purchases by tens of thousands of lawful gun owners. One in five attempts to purchase ammo have been rejected since the requirement took effect on July 1, the Sacramento Bee found, but only 101 were stopped for being prohibited purchasers. The others were rejected because “their personal information hadn’t been entered into the state’s system, or the information on their identification cards didn’t match what officials had entered into the California gun registry database, which retail sellers must review when they do the ammunition background check.”
A new study revealed the diverse political leanings of four million California gun owners. It found that 38.2 percent of Golden State gun owners are Republicans, 28.4 percent are Democrats, and 27.5 percent indicated a preference for neither party. The findings come from the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center.
A domestic offender got 10 years in federal prison for illegal gun possession. The 26-year-old Texan had two prior domestic assault convictions and pled guilty in March to brandishing an M-15 during an altercation. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox said the man was given the maximum sentence. Context: The Department of Justice launched a federal crackdown on gun-toting domestic offenders after The Trace reported on efforts by Cox and other U.S. attorneys.
DATA POINT
There have been at least 35 gun-related hate crime incidents in the United States so far this year, including brandishings and shootings, resulting in 50 deaths and 38 injuries. —Gun Violence Archive
