The man charged with committing the antisemitic shooting at the Chabad of Poway is set to plead guilty in his federal case, according to NBC San Diego.
John Timothy Earnest is set for a September 17 change of plea hearing in San Diego federal court, after previously pleading guilty to murder and other state charges in July.
Earnest is slated to be sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus 137 years to life, and is expected to be sentenced on September 30.
More than 50 people were inside the Chabad synagogue in Poway, California, when the shooter opened fire. Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, was killed in the antisemitic attack, while Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein; eight-year-old Noya Dahan and Dahan's uncle, Almog Peretz, were injured.
Earnest admitted he specifically targeted the synagogue filled with Jewish people during Passover because of his "hatred for Jews" as part of his plea.
He also pled guilty to arson charges for setting fire to Dur-ul-Arqam mosque on March 24, 2019. He admitted to setting the fire "for purposes of terrorizing worshipers."
The county district attorney's office issued a statement after the plea change, which read in part,
"After consulting with the Kaye family and the many victims impacted by the shooting, the decision to accept a plea of life in prison was made in the interest of justice and with the knowledge that a parallel prosecution by the US Attorney’s Office and possible plea in that case would prevent the state’s case from moving forward."
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.