One person was killed and two were injured in a shooting at a dental practice in El Cajon, Calif., some 15 miles from San Diego. The shooter, reportedly a former patient, is in custody.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The El Cajon Police Department initially wrote that there were "at least three victims" in the incident that took place on Thursday evening. It later named the suspect – who fled in a U-Haul truck, and who is considered armed and dangerous – as Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29. Later on Thursday night, it said that the suspect was in custody.
Police said the shooting occurred on the 400 block of North Magnolia at a dental center, per emergency scanner reports, The Los Angeles Times reported. Sgt. Eric Thornton of the police department told the Times that the shooting left one person dead and two injured.
Smile Plus Dentistry, which is located at 480 North Magnolia Ave., lists Jack Harouni and Benjamin Harouni as dentists who are part of the practice.
San Diego shocking murder - Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29, was arrested after shooting & killing Jewish dentist, Dr. Benjamin Harouni, at his SmilePlus Dentistry practice in the El Cajon suburb.
Demand El Cajon Police investigate if antisemitism was a factor in this shocking crime -… pic.twitter.com/chBqrrRVH1
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) March 1, 2024
The Daily Mail reported that Smile Plus, "which is run by the father-and-son team of doctors Jack and Benjamin Harouni," was the site of the shooting.
"The office's receptionist Yareli Carrillo, 28, was shot in the legs but is in stable condition and expected to survive," the Daily Mail added. "A man in his 40s who has not been named was also injured but expected to survive."
"It's not clear if the Harounis were in the office at the time of the shooting," the Daily Mail added.
The dental practice posted on Instagram on Feb. 20 wishing Benjamin Harouni a happy birthday.
Yeshiva World News reported that Benjamin Harouni, who it identified as an Orthodox Jew, was the person killed in the shooting. It added that Los Angeles members of the nonprofit Misaskim, which assists the bereaved, spent the night at the scene to ensure that the dead body was respected according to Jewish law.
No other news publications have yet identified the deceased.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
