This has to be the weirdest video of the year so far: a man walks into a synagogue (the Schneerson Jewish Center) where several Jewish people of various ages are having their supper. He starts arguing with them passionately about something but they ignore him. He pulls out a gun, and they continue to ignore him, except for one elderly man who gets off his chair. The man fires several rounds, which doesn’t stop the old Jewish man, who proceeds to escort him out. Meanwhile, the folks at the supper table continue to ignore the whole thing!
According to the San Francisco Police dept., “on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at approximately 7:20 PM, an unknown male entered a Jewish Synagogue located on the 2600 block of Balboa St., shot a firearm several times, and fled the scene. There were no reports of injury or property damage. Officers seized expended casings that were fired, which are being investigated as possible blanks.”
The police report does not mention the general apathy of the assembled Jews at the table.
But wait, there’s more: the SFPD report also mentions that “on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at approximately 8:00 PM, an unknown male entered a theater located on the 3600 block of Balboa St. and brandished a handgun. The subject fled the scene on foot on Balboa St. There was no report of injury or property damage.”
SFPD officers “on Friday, February 3, 2023, at approximately 5:00 PM located the subject in the Richmond District and detained him without further incident.”
According to the SFPD, a search of the suspect’s residence revealed evidence related to the incidents, which was seized. The suspect is believed to have participated in both incidents.
The suspect was booked at San Francisco County Jail on the charges of disturbing any religious assembly, brandishing an imitation firearm, and causing another to refrain from engaging in a religious service.
The old Jew who stars as the hero in the video but wished to remain anonymous, told ABC News: “Here comes a guy, I ask him, ‘Do you speak Russian?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked him, come join us. I didn’t hear, but some people said, he said, ‘I’m going to show you something.'”
“They were all stunned!” said the elderly hero. “Could you imagine, like you invite a friend, and he starts to shoot? You’re stunned. Unprepared. Everybody was stunned!”
Junior Rabbi Alon Chanukov told ABC News: “The action is terrifying. To have a stranger come in and start shooting in your place of worship, in a place where you should feel safe.”
