KANSAS GUN ATTACK TARGETS JEWISH CENTRES

Kansas, 14 Jumadil Akhir 1435/14 April 2014 (MINA) – A man in his 70s has been arrested after three people were killed in gun attacks outside a Jewish community centre and nearby retirement community in the US state of Kansas, authorities have said.

John Douglass, a local police chief, said shots were fired at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Kansas City at about 1pm local time on Sunday. One man died at the scene, and another died at hospital.

The gunman then moved to the nearby Village Shalom, where he shot dead a woman. He shot at two other people but missed, Douglass said. A man was later arrested near a school, according to Al Jazeera report quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Also Read: This Year's Pulitzer Prize Winner Endorses Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

“Today is a sad and very tragic day,” Douglass said. “As you might imagine we are only three hours into this investigation. There’s a lot of innuendo and a lot of assertions going around. There is really very little hardcore information.”

Douglass said the suspect made several statements to police, “but it’s too early to tell you what he may or may not have said”.

He also said it was too early in the investigation to determine whether there was an anti-Jewish motive for the attacks or if they will be investigated as hate crimes. The Jewish festival of Passover begins on Monday.

Also Read: US DISMISSES UN GAZA REPORT AS BIASED

“We know it was a vicious act of violence, and we know obviously it was at two Jewish facilities. One might make that assumption,” Douglass said.

He described the suspect as a white man in his 70s who is not from Kansas.

Douglass said a shotgun was used, and investigators were trying to determine whether a handgun and assault-style rifle also were involved. .(T/P04/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)