Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Murdering Jewish Dentist

(ConservativeSense.com) – Police have arrested a man for the murder of a Jewish dentist in California. Mohammed Abdulkareem was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly walked into a dental surgery near San Diego and opened fire with a handgun. Dr. Benjamin Harouni died in the attack, and a man and woman were taken to hospital.

Police say Abdulkareem fled the scene in a white pick-up truck but was caught when a person recognized him and called law enforcement. Officers found a handgun and two magazines in the vehicle, and records show that he legally purchased the weapon two weeks earlier. He is detained in San Diego County Jail.

Subsequent reports revealed that 28-year-old receptionist Yareli Carrillo sustained two gunshots to her legs, and an unnamed 40-year-old man was seriously injured.

Captain Rob Ransweiler said Abdulkareem was known to staff at Smile Plus Dentistry & Orthodontics in El Cajon and is believed to have been an unhappy client. However, law enforcement officers said they are unclear about his motive, and the FBI, together with the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agency, will conduct a joint investigation.

Chief of Police Mike Moulton said, “The El Cajon Police Department mourns with the family and friends of the deceased victim and extends heartfelt condolences to those injured.”

While police have not labeled the attack a hate crime, some Jewish groups are demanding that antisemitism is considered as a motive. Writing on social media, the dentist’s brother Jake Harouni said that Jews feel “scared and vulnerable” in America thanks to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and a corresponding rise in antisemitism in the United States.

During Dr. Harouni’s funeral service, the attending rabbi said the dentist was struck down in a senseless act of violence, “in all likelihood because he was a Jew.”

Within weeks of the Hamas terror attack on Israel last October, advocacy groups reported a 400% rise in antisemitic incidents in America.