Rabbi Had Asked Border Patrol Agent to Come Armed Just in Case

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein had asked the Border Patrol agent in the Chabad of Poway to pray armed and it was that agent that chased Saturday’s attacker out of the building.

On April 27, 2019, Breitbart News reported that a suspect opened fire in the Chabad of Poway and a good guy with a gun was able to shoot back. That good guy, Border Patrol Agent Jonathan Morales, chased after the attacker and shot at him as he got into his vehicle to flee.

The Times of Israel reports that Morales had “recently discovered his Jewish roots” and, after he began coming to Chabad of Poway, was asked by Goldstein to pray armed.

Goldstein said, “Morales recently discovered his Jewish roots. He would travel three and a half hours from [the California town of] El Centro to pray with us at our shul. He felt this was his house of worship. And many times I said, ‘Jonathan, you work for the border patrol. Please arm yourself when you are here; we never know when we will need it.’”

Goldstein made clear that the synagogue has armed guards at the service when they can afford to do so.

One person was killed in the synagogue attack and three others were injured.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.