Girl, 8, Injured in San Diego Synagogue Shooting Says She Doesn't Feel Safe

An 8-year-old who was injured when a gunman opened fire in a California synagogue over the weekend, killing one, says the synagogue no longer feels safe for her.

Noya Dahan was at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego Saturday when 19-year-old alleged gunman, John Earnest, began shooting on Saturday.

“I never thought that was going to happen to me because like it’s a safe place, you’re supposed to feel safe,” Noya told ABC News. 

Noya and her family had endured rocket attacks in Israel, with their own home being hit, and moved to California for safety. Since the move, however, they'd experienced discrimination, they said.

Noya’s father, Israel Dahan, told CNN that their California home had been covered with swastika graffiti.

"I just kept on dreaming about it. I just couldn't ... dream about something good. I just dreamt about the bad things," Noya told ABC News of how she felt after her home was vandalized. 

Nonetheless, Dahan said the family is “shocked” by the attack. 

Noya was hit with bullet shrapnel in the face and leg during the attack, and her uncle, who was visiting from Israel, was shot in the leg while trying to protect her, CNN reported.

“We came from fire to fire,” Dahan told the Times of Israel. 

The rabbi of the synagogue, Yisroel Goldstein, was also shot during the attack and a parishioner, 60-year-old Lori Kaye, was killed trying to defend him.

Earnest was run out of the synagogue by two members after his gun jammed. A short time later he was taken into police custody after being located by a K-9 officer, according to reports. 

For Noya, the experience has left her scarred. 

“I really don't feel safe because this is not the first and definitely not the last time this is going to happen. So now I know just to watch out and stuff for dangerous things to happen,” she told ABC News.

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