Jewish New Zealand family targeted in antisemitic drive-by shooting in California

A Jewish New Zealand family living in California has been targeted in an alleged antisemitic drive-by shooting, prompting the family to make the difficult decision to return to New Zealand due to safety concerns.

The incident occurred on the evening of December 12 in Redlands, California, where the family’s home was fired upon while several family members were inside. Security camera footage shows a vehicle driving past the property shortly before multiple shots were discharged at the house. As the vehicle drove away, a male voice can be heard shouting an antisemitic slur.

At the time of the incident, the family’s mother, grandmother, and two siblings were inside the home. No physical injuries were reported, though the family has described being deeply shaken by the attack.

The family’s son, Jonpaul Yohanan Cohen, a former Wellington resident, told media that the shooting occurred shortly after he and his father had been verbally harassed nearby. According to Cohen, individuals in a passing vehicle shouted “Free Palestine” and racial abuse at him earlier that evening. The shooting took place just minutes later, and police are investigating whether the two incidents are connected.

Redlands Police have confirmed they are treating the incident as a “potential hate crime” targeting a Jewish family. Additional patrols have been deployed in the area, including around local places of worship, while investigations continue. The suspect or suspects have not yet been identified.

Police have indicated that they are analysing video footage and recovered ammunition, though no arrests have been made at this stage.

Authorities believe the family may have been targeted due to visible Hanukkah decorations displayed outside the home at the time of the attack.

The incident occurred amid a broader surge in antisemitic incidents internationally and just days before a separate shooting attack at a Jewish gathering in Bondi Beach, Sydney.

The family, who moved from Wellington to the United States in 2017 for academic work, have strong ties to New Zealand. Cohen and his siblings grew up in Hataitai, Wellington. His father is a naturalised New Zealander, and his mother is a New Zealander of Sāmoan and Jewish descent.

Cohen said the family had long hoped conditions would improve but had now reached what he described as their “red line”.

“Our main priority now is to escape,” he said. “We want to be somewhere we feel safe and at home.”

The family is planning to relocate back to New Zealand in the coming months and is currently seeking housing and employment opportunities.

Jewish community leaders have expressed concern that such incidents reflect a global rise in antisemitic hostility, particularly during periods of heightened visibility such as Jewish festivals, and have urged authorities and civil society to take early warning signs seriously.