San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a conviction in the case of Dmitri Mishin, the man behind the 2023 Richmond District synagogue shooting. Mishin, 53, has been found guilty on multiple counts, including six counts of interference with religious worship and six counts of brandishing an imitation firearm, the San Francisco District Attorney's office reported on its website. Hate crime allegations were found true in each count.
"There is no place for antisemitism in our community," said Jenkins in a quote obtained by the District Attorney's press release. The conviction comes after evidence presented at trial showed that on February 1, 2023, Mishin entered the Schneerson Center, began speaking Russian to attendees, and fired blank rounds from a replica firearm. This incident deeply unsettled a local community that has been navigating increasing tensions around hate crimes and antisemitism.
In a separate report from ABC7 News, additional context from the shooting was provided. Mishin had entered a movie theater mere blocks away in the Richmond District the day before the synagogue attack. He brandished a handgun, prompting staff at the Balboa Theater to call police. These actions contributed to the charges against Mishin and reflected a public safety risk that prompted prosecutors to seek pre-trial detention.
Mishin's actions caused lasting trauma in the Richmond community, with reports of synagogue attendees suffering sleep issues and others avoiding the site since the event, according to a statement by junior Rabbi Alon Chanukov in an interview with ABC7 News. With the trial concluded and the conviction secured, Mishin is in custody and awaits sentencing, which is scheduled for next Friday.
