The 19-year-old San Diego man who was charged with murder after a shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California, on Saturday, was held without bail on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to the alleged crime in his first court appearance. The alleged shooter, John Earnest, reportedly did not speak during the arraignment, where a judge called him an "obvious and extraordinary" risk to the public.
Earnest could face the death penalty if convicted, CNN reports, because he is accused of killing a woman — 60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye — based on her religious beliefs, a special circumstance which could allow California to go through with the sentencing despite Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordering a moratorium on capital punishment in March.
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