Christchurch terror attack inspired synagogue shooting, court documents reveal

A man accused of torching a mosque and a mass shooting at a synagogue praised NZ gunman Brenton Tarrant.

Accused Californian synagogue shooter John Earnest, left, had celebrated Brenton Tarrant's Christchurch terror attack, court documents reveal. Pictures: Supplied

A man accused of shooting dead a woman and injuring three people when he opened fire at a Californian synagogue had earlier celebrated Brenton Tarrant’s Christchurch attacks and “scorched” a mosque where the words “FOR BRENTON TARRAN r/pol/” were spray-painted outside, it’s been alleged.

Newly unsealed US court documents accuse John Earnest, 20, of showing a high level of interest in the Australian’s attack on mosques in New Zealand. It’s alleged he told investigators after he was arrested for the April 27 synagogue shooting that “he was inspired by individuals such as Adolf Hitler and Brenton Tarrant”.

Earnest also allegedly praised Tarrant in a text message four days after Christchurch mosque attacks that left 51 people dead, and is accused of setting fire to a mosque while people were sleeping inside on March 24. No one was hurt in the fire.

Before the mosque fire, Earnest allegedly complained that he missed the livestream of Tarrant’s shootings in a text message to an unidentified individual.

“I could’ve seen it live damnit,” he allegedly wrote. “I’ve only read a little (of Tarrant’s ‘manifesto’) but so far he’s spot on with everything.”

A month later, after the synagogue shooting at Poway, California, authorities found a “manifesto” purportedly authored by Earnest where details of the arson attack are detailed.

“I scorched a mosque in Escondido with gasoline a week after Brenton Tarrant’s sacrifice and they never found shit on me,” the manifesto said, according to applications for search warrants unsealed by a Californian judge this week.

“I spray-painted on the parking lot. I wrote ‘For Brenton Tarrant -t./pol”

According to the court documents, firefighters who fought the blaze saw the words “FOR BRENTON TARRAN r/pol/” — the last phrase the name of a notorious “politically incorrect” threads on online messageboard — spray-painted onto the carpark.

That graffiti was never publicly revealed, according to the documents.

A month later, he allegedly opened fire inside the Poway synagogue, killing a 60-year-old woman and wounding others, before an off-duty border patrol agent grabbed a revolver off another worshipper and fired four shots at Earnest, chasing him out to the carpark, where he fled in a car.

Shortly before the synagogue shooting, Earnest allegedly created a post on the controversial message board 8chan — the same forum used by Tarrant — thanking other users and providing a link to a “livestream”.

Later that day, as he was arrested in a restaurant carpark after calling police and claiming credit for the shooting, officers saw a high-powered AR15 rifle and a helmet with a GoPro attached to it inside his car.

According to the documents, Earnest told police: “I just shot up a synagogue. I’m defending my country.”

Earnest has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges for the synagogue shooting.