02 March 2024 , 19:46
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A community is in mourning after authorities identified the victim of a horror triple shooting at a dentist's office as a Jewish-Iranian dentist.
Police took Mohammed Abdulkareem into custody just hours after he entered a dentist's office in El Cajon, San Diego, California, and shot three people on Thursday afternoon. One victim was declared dead, Benjamin Harouni, 28, while the other two went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Abdulkareem, 29, initially fled in a white U-haul pickup truck with Arizona licence plate AM14894. In an update hours later, officers said he had been arrested after a pickup truck used by the suspect was found near Balboa Park at Sixth Avenue and Quince Street. Police said after a search, they took the suspect into custody near where they found the vehicle.
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Benjamin Harouni and his father, Jack, worked at the dentist's office (Facebook)
The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Mohammed Abdulkareem (El Cajon Police)The office's receptionist Yareli Carrillo, 28, shot in the legs and taken to the hospital, while the third victim was a 40-year-old male that has yet to be identified.
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Capt. Rob Ransweiler told reporters that people in the building knew Abdulkareem. The police found that Abdulkareem rented the van in Poway an hour before the shooting. He also purchased the gun legally two weeks ago.
When authorities found Abdulkareem, he had a loaded handgun and several loaded magazines on his person.
Benjamin’s mother, Hilda Harouni, posted on Instagram on Friday night, informing Harouni's friends and family about the tragic event. Benjamin recently began working at the dental practice, where his father worked as well.
The office's receptionist was shot in the legs but treated quickly (Instagram)“At the young age of 28 years old, Benjamin was taken suddenly from us,” posted Hilda. “He lived a life serving others, bringing joy and healing to many.”
Rabbi Zalman Carlebach, of Chabad of Downtown San Diego, where the Harouni family were members, told NBC, that "Benjamin was a beautiful, kind, and caring young man, who had his entire life ahead of him."
According to the Rabbi, Jack and Hilda Harouni moved to San Diego from Sacramento and created Smile Plus dental, opening multiple centres in multiple locations. Benjamin recently graduated dental school and joined the family practice.
Police footage of the aftermath of the shooting (NBC)"Please do positive acts of kindness and spread peace to fill the world with much needed light in memory of Benjamin. May God comfort his parents, brothers, extended family, and the entire Jewish community," added Rabbi Carlebach.
So far, the motive is unclear but investigators have said this was not a hate-related incident, comfirmed by the regional director of the ADL. Police said Abdulkareem was a former patient.
Abdulkareem is facing multiple felony charges, including one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.