Suspected Poway synagogue shooter may face a federal death penalty trial

Federal prosecutors are considering whether to pursue capital punishment for John T. Earnest, the alleged Poway synagogue shooter in the April 2019 attack that killed one and injured three. 

There has never been a federal death penalty case in San Diego. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has already decided to pursue the death penalty for the state prosecution.

Earnest, a former CSUSM nursing student, is charged with 113 counts, including counts of murder, attempted murder, hate crimes and arson. He has pleaded not guilty. For more information on the case, see this article.

Three active coronavirus cases at CSUSM

There are three active cases of COVID-19 at CSUSM as of Nov. 6 – two employees and one student. There have been 32 cumulative cases over the course of the semester.

CSUSM may have more cases than they have reported, as the data does not include employees working remotely or those who live off campus and do not participate in any campus activities. Those individuals are not obligated to report a positive case. 

CSUSM case data can be found at csusm.edu/csusmasone/contact/report-case.html. The site is updated whenever there is a change in case numbers.

CSUSM placed on “Top 100 Schools for Hispanics” rankings

CSUSM is one of the top universities for Hispanic students in the nation, according to rankings released in the Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine’s October edition. 

The rankings, based on data from the 2018-2019 academic year, measure categories such as Hispanic enrollment, two-year degrees, four-year degrees and more. The magazine releases new rankings annually.

CSUSM was ranked 64th in total Hispanic enrollment at a four-year college, with 7,026 Hispanic students. CSUSM’s percentage of Hispanic students is 44 percent. 

CSUSM placed 43rd for bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2019. CSUSM awarded 1,364 bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic students in 2019, which was 38 percent of the 3,585 bachelor’s degrees given out that year.

The rankings can be accessed on Hispanic Outlook on Education’s website or at api.hispanicoutlook.com/media/qpdf/QQ_Digital_10-2020.pdf.

Winter Intersession enrollment now open

Enrollment is now open for the 2021 Intersession for both CSUSM students and community members. 

Offered through Extended Learning, the term offers an opportunity for students to fast track their education by completing courses over winter break.

The term is four weeks long, from Dec. 21 to Jan. 16. Courses in a variety of disciplines are available.

Payment for the courses will be due on Dec. 9. For more information, visit csusm.edu/el/courses/winterintersession/.

This story was last updated on Nov. 9 with the news entry on the Poway shooter’s case.