Jaime Tran
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A former Riverside resident who shot two Jewish men after they left synagogues in the Pico-Robertson district last year less than 24 hours apart was sentenced Monday to 35 years in federal prison.
Jaime Tran, 30, pleaded guilty in June in downtown Los Angeles to all charges against him: two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“After years of spewing antisemitic vitriol, the defendant planned and carried out a two-day attack attempting to murder Jews leaving synagogue in Los Angeles,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.
“Vile acts of antisemitic hatred endanger the safety of individuals and entire communities, and allowing such crimes to go unchecked endangers the foundation of our democracy itself. As millions of Jewish Americans prepare to observe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to aggressively confronting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal acts motivated by antisemitism, or by hatred of any kind. No Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime.”
Both victims survived the attacks.
Tran admitted espousing antisemitic beliefs and making violent threats toward Jewish people. For example, in 2018, he left dental school after making hate-filled statements about other students whom he perceived to be Jewish.
From August to December 2022, Tran’s antisemitic statements escalated and he used increasingly violent language, including against a former classmate whom he repeatedly called and texted with messages such as “I want you dead, Jew. Someone is going to kill you, Jew” and “Burn in an oven chamber,” according to his plea agreement filed in L.A. federal court.
In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including a statement blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on a Jewish conspiracy.
As a result of previous mental health holds, Tran was prohibited from purchasing firearms as of last year. In January 2023 in Phoenix, Tran asked someone to buy two firearms for him. Tran selected the firearms and paid $1,500 in cash to the person, who then purchased them, prosecutors said.
Tran acknowledged that on the morning of Feb. 15, 2023, he used the internet to research locations with a “kosher market,” and planned to shoot someone near such a market because he believed there would be Jewish people in the area.
Tran drove to Pico-Robertson and shot a Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke as he was leaving religious services at a synagogue. Believing the victim was Jewish, Tran shot him at close range in the back, intending to kill him. Tran then drove away from the scene.
The next morning, Feb. 16, 2023, Tran returned to the Pico-Robertson area, intending to shoot another Jewish person. Tran shot a second Jewish victim, also wearing a yarmulke and leaving a synagogue after attending religious services. Tran shot the victim at close range, intending to kill him, as the victim crossed the street. Tran again left the scene.
Law enforcement arrested Tran on Feb. 17, 2023, and he has remained in custody.
“The defendant’s hatred led him to plan the murder of two innocent victims simply because he believed they were practicing their Jewish faith,” said Krysti Hawkins, the acting assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said when the plea agreement was announced.
“I’m relieved that the hard work by investigators and prosecutors led to Tran’s admission to these abhorrent crimes, and hope that members of the Jewish community take some solace in knowing that he will not be in the position to target their fellow members.”
Jewish Federation Los Angeles issued a statement declaring it is “pleased that justice will be served in the horrific antisemitic hate crime committed against two local Jewish community members — a violent act which shook our community.”
“At a time when antisemitism has skyrocketed across the country and in Los Angeles, this news sends a strong message that our city will have zero tolerance for violent acts of antisemitism,” the statement said.
“We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI and LAPD for their diligence in investigating and prosecuting this case and for their continued work and commitment to protect our community and partner with us to combat hate.”
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