Gavel (illustration)
Gavel (illustration)iStock

A California court has sentenced the gunman responsible for a deadly synagogue shooting in 2019 to life in prison.

John T. Earnest was spared the death penalty as part of a deal with prosecutors, but was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of parole, after he was convicted of murder and attempted murder.

On April 27th, 2019, Earnest burst into the Chabad of Poway synagogue outside of San Diego, opening fire with a semiautomatic rifle.

Earnest killed 60-year-old Lori Gilbert and wounded three others, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was leading Passover prayers during the attack.

After the shooting, Earnest called 911 to report the shooting, voicing white supremacist rhetoric during the call.

"I'm defending our nation against the Jewish people, who are trying to destroy all white people," he said.

Judge Peter Deddeh refused to allow Earnest to make a statement at the hearing Thursday, over concerns Earnest would use it to voice his white supremacist, anti-Semitic views.