UPDATE (5:45 p.m. EST): Poway Mayor Steve Vaus told MSNBC that one person has died. The identity of the deceased was not immediately released. He said no other injuries are life threatening.

Vaus also revealed that members of the synagogue engaged the shooter, likely mitigating the scope of possible damage the gunman could inflict.

"We are grateful to those in the congregation there that engaged the shooter and prevented this from being a much more horrific incident," Vaus said.

Additionally, NBC reported that Vaus has characterized the incident as a "hate crime."

President Donald Trump also offered his thoughts via social media:

See the original story below.



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Multiple people were injured Saturday when a gunman opened fire inside the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego.

According to KCAL-TV, deputies with the San Diego Sheriff's Office responded to the synagogue around 11:30 a.m. PST Saturday morning, where worshipers were participating in a Passover service.

CNN reported that a local hospital had received one trauma patient, but was expecting at least four others. At least one of the injured is a child. The synagogue's founding teacher, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, was reportedly also among the injured. The inured are being treated at Palomar Medical Center.

The San Diego Sheriff's office told The Daily Beast that one man was arrested in connection to the shooting and is being questioned by investigators. "We don't believe there are any other suspects," a department spokesperson told the outlet.



The shooting comes on the final day of Passover. The synagogue was holding services from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Additionally, the incident comes six months to the day after a gunman stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh killing 11 people in what was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.

This is a breaking news story. Please refresh the page for updates.