Police investigate drive-by attack at Redlands home decorated for Hanukkah

Police are investigating the report of a drive-by shooting with an estimated 20 rounds fired that was aimed at a Redlands home decorated for Hanukkah, followed by an obscenity shouted from a car.

The homeowner posted an account of what happened the evening of Friday Dec. 12 on social media, along with a surveillance video. Police later said the weapon used was likely an airsoft gun, as officers found no shell casings around the house.

The Anti-Defamation League, a San Bernardino County supervisor and the mayor of Redlands decried the incident, saying it shatters the Jewish community’s sense of security.

“While we are relieved that no injuries occurred, it is important to reaffirm our support of our community members, no matter their faith,” Mayor Mario Saucedo said in a statement. “Violence and hatred have no place in Redlands.”

The episode occurred on the 1300 block of Magnolia Avenue, police said.

Jonpaul Sione Yohanan Cohen, the homeowner, wrote on Instagram, “My family and (I) were attacked by an antisemitic shooter tonight …” “The group … accosted me publicly 3 minutes before the shooting by screaming “free Palestine *n-word*.”

A few moments later, he wrote, “Our security camera caught sight of the shooter discharging at least 20 rounds from a yet unidentified projectile weapon at my family’s house and Chanukah decorations.”

An obsenity was then shouted from the car as it drove off, he said.

Police had dispatched five cruisers and a helicopter following the incident, Cohen wrote.

Redlands Police spokesman Carl Baker said no shell casings were found at the scene, adding, “Home surveillance video showed no muzzle flash, leading police to believe the weapon was an airsoft handgun.”

A spokesman for the ADL released a statement on Saturday that read, in part, “Last night’s shooting into the home of a Jewish family on Shabbat in Redlands, CA is another dangerous and despicable act of violence impacting the Jewish community in Southern California.

“The sense of security in our community has, again, been shattered by the act of cowardice and hate and that is unacceptable.

“ADL Los Angeles is in direct touch with the victim, and we are working in close coordination with law enforcement, local Jewish leaders, and elected officials. The suspect remains at large and must be found and held accountable.”

San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe also issued a statement on X, saying in part, “No one should ever feel threatened, targeted, or unsafe because of who they are, how they worship, or how they choose to express their faith.”

Anyone with information regarding the incident or any suspicious activity is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681 ext. 1. Some non-emergency crimes may also be reported online using the Redlands Police Department’s CopLogic reporting system at cityofredlands.org/report-crime.

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