David Anderson has been identified as one of the two shooters who entered a kosher grocery store in Jersey City, New Jersey on Tuesday, December 10 and open-fired. The rampage left three people inside of the store dead, along with veteran detective Joseph Seals, according to NBC New York.
Anderson was reportedly a follower of the Black Hebrew Israelites, which is a black nationalist and anti-Semitic sect.
Prior to his identification, reports surfaced online that the suspect had written anti-semitic and anti-police messages online. The latest information confirms that there were religious writings in a U-Haul that he and his cohort allegedly drove to the scene.
From the report:
Three sources say Anderson was a one-time follower of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, a group whose members believe they are descendants of the ancient Israelites and may adhere to both Christian and Judaic beliefs. There was a note with religious writings in the U-Haul he and Graham allegedly drove to the scene, but a motive — including any alleged nexus to hate or terror remains under active investigation, officials say.
The second suspect was identified as Francine Graham, whose neighbor said turned into a “dark person” after she met Anderson. The neighbor also claims Graham was coerced into a militant religion that he could not identify but that he heard “evil” translations of the New Testament being read from her home.
Authorities say that the duo specifically targeted the kosher deli.
“There were multiple other people on the streets,” Public Safety Director James Shea said. “There were many other targets available to them that they bypassed to attack that place. So it was, clearly, that was their target, and they intended to harm people inside there.”
The duo reportedly deliberately bypassed other people on the street after exiting the vehicle with their rifles and began open-firing on people inside of the deli before their hours-long standoff with police. Both Anderson and Graham were killed in the gunfire.