Man charged in Los Angeles Jewish hate crime shooting agrees to plead guilty

The man accused of shooting two Jewish men in Los Angeles last year has agreed to plead guilty to hate crimes and gun charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Jamie Tran is expected to plead guilty to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of unlawful use of a firearm, according to a news release. Tran is expected to be sentenced to 35 to 40 years in prison.

“These horrific acts – motivated by poisonous anti-Semitic beliefs – shocked our community,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “Law enforcement will continue to work together to prevent and punish hate crimes. Our resolve remains strong, standing alongside our Jewish community and others in opposing acts of hate.”

Tran allegedly researched the location of kosher markets and in February 2023 traveled to the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles where he allegedly shot and killed a Jewish man near a synagogue. He returned to the same area the next day and shot another Jew at point-blank range, authorities said. Both victims survived the shooting.

He was arrested the next day and remains in custody, according to authorities. Tran was prohibited from possessing firearms due to mental health issues, but allegedly acquired two weapons in January 2023 through a third party.

Tran had a history of making anti-Semitic comments dating back to 2018 when he made “hateful statements” toward other students while in dental school, according to the press release.

In 2022, Tran emailed anti-Semitic statements to former classmates, authorities say, including excerpts from a website describing Jewish people as “primitive.”

“I am grateful for the hard work our investigators and prosecutors have put into this case,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Hate crimes destroy the social fabric of our communities and harm our safety. The Los Angeles Police Department is stronger because of our federal partnerships, and better serves the people of Los Angeles.”