SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Saturday will mark the five years since the mass shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue.
The terrifying scene unfolded on the last day of Passover in 2019. Gunfire erupted during a prayer service inside the synagogue.
Hannah Kaye was in a prayer room. Her 60-year-old mother, Lori Gilbert-Kaye, was nearby, in the foyer, when the first gunshots rang out, sending worshippers scrambling for cover.
“It was the loudest sound you could ever imagine in your life,” Kaye said. “I remember the internal monologue in my head. Where is my mother?“
By the time the 19-year-old gunman ran off, three had been injured. Gilbert-Kaye was shot and passed away.
“I remember seeing my dad giving her CPR, and I just remember my father screaming at the top of his lungs,” Kaye said.
John Earnest, the man who took her life, was arrested soon after the shooting. He pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison on state and federal charges. An online manifesto revealed his anti-Semitic beliefs.
Now, five years later after the shooting, Kaye and her aunt, Randi Grossman, are preparing to commemorate a sobering anniversary.
“It’s not easier. It does not get easier over time," Kaye said. “She was my best friend, my soulmate, loving and caring."
“I miss her love, her guidance. She was an extraordinary force for good this world. She’s gone, but still in my heart,” said Grossman.
Among the many motions of the anniversary is worry.
“Anti-Semitism has really become normalized, and it saddens me,” said Grossman.
According to the Anti-Defmation League San Diego, in the five years following the shooting, the number of anti-Semitic incidents—including assaults and vandalism—has more than doubled, from 49 to 108 in 2023.
In the past few years, security has continued to be heightened at synagogues across the county.
Since the shooting, Kaye has helped the ADL monitor extremism and supported families and survivors of other shootings.
In 2019, Kaye and her aunt penned a letter in support of those impacted by a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
“I hope in my lifetime, I can do my small part in combatting the hatred,” said Kaye. “My mother’s incredible legacy does not only encompass her murder for being a Jew … I hope she is also remembered for her extraordinary depths of her generosity, for her kindness and love.”
In the past year, another tragedy visited the family. In September, Gilbert-Kaye’s husband, Dr. Howard Kaye, passed away in his sleep.
“He was a survivor and he loved her greatly. In his own ways, he honored and uplifted her legacy after her passing,” said Kaye.
This weekend, family and friends will gather for a private get-together to celebrate Gilbert-Kaye's life.
