'I Couldn't See His Soul': Rabbi Speaks Out About Deadly Synagogue Shooting In Poway

POWAY (CBSLA) — The day after the synagogue shooting in Poway a devastated community tried to make sense of the attack that killed a woman and injured three others, including the rabbi at Congregation Chabad.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein described the moments when he confronted the gunman in the lobby of the synagogue. His hands were bandaged. He said he lost his index finger on his right hand and doctors are trying to save the index finger on his left.

"I turn around and I see a sight that is indescribable," said Goldstein about his terrifying encounter with the 19-year-old gunman. "Here is a young man standing with a rifle, pointing right at me and I look at him. He has sunglasses on. I couldn't see his eyes. I couldn't see his soul."

Goldstein's good friend and longtime member of his congregation, 60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye, died protecting him from gunfire. Kaye is described as a happy and generous person.

"Lori was always thinking beyond herself to other people and that's how she died," said Kaye's best friend Ronit Lev.

Kaye is survived by her husband Howard and daughter Hannah.

Three other victims were injured in the shooting. All three were treated and released, including Goldstein who was washing his hands when the shots first went off. He came back to the lobby to check on Kaye when the gunman fired at him.

Despite being shot in the hands, Goldstein rushed to save children, including his granddaughter just steps from the gunfire.

"My granddaughter, four and a half years old, sees her grandpa with a bleeding hand and she sees me screaming and shouting, 'Get out, get out.' She didn't deserve to see her grandfather like this," said Goldstein.

Goldstein says the other two people injured are 34-year-old Almog Peretz, an Israeli war veteran who took a bullet to the leg while saving children. 8-year-old Noya Dahan is the fourth and youngest victim. Her family moved here from Israel to escape terrorism. She was treated after shrapnel hit her leg and face.

"In the first place when it was gushing blood I didn't even feel it," said Dahan. "Then after they wiped it and the blood was off it felt like I had the giantest bruise ever. It was just hurting bad."

The alleged shooter, John Earnest, used a semi-automatic weapon to carry out the attack. But Goldstein says the gun jammed, saving countless lives.

A vigil was held Sunday evening at Valle Verde Park.

The vigil drew a large crowd with many having to park blocks away.

Community members from all faiths were united by grief and the belief that religion should unite us, not divide us.

"It's been a really overwhelming 24 hours. To think that this is happening two minutes from our house and our backyard," said Elsa Britaiin.

The crowd that gathered for the vigil Sunday night say that they wanted to remember Kaye's last selfless act of courage, not the gunman's act of hate.

A funeral for Kaye is planned for Monday afternoon at the synagogue.