'We have to unfold love': Vigil held to honor El Cajon dentist shot and killed

EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — “Ben, I really like you and I need you to know all of us love you and miss you,” Benjamin Harouni’s youthful brother Jacob Harouni mentioned by means of tears to a crowd of individuals in El Cajon.

They had been gathered at a candlelight vigil honoring his brother, 28-year-old Dr. Benjamin Harouni.

Police mentioned Harouni was shot and killed whereas working as a dentist at Smile Plus Dentistry and Orthodontics at 480 North Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon on Thursday. His household mentioned he had simply turned a dentist after graduating USC and adopted in his father’s footsteps whereas working at his father’s follow.

“I simply want I may inform him I really like him,” Jacob mentioned. “I don’t suppose I advised him that sufficient, and I want I may hug him, hug him actually tight.”

Harouni and two others had been shot early Thursday night inside Smile Plus Dentistry and Orthodontics, in response to the El Cajon Police Division. When officers arrived on scene, they introduced the victims outdoors of the dental workplace to carry out CPR.

El Cajon Police recognized the shooter as 29-year-old Mohammed Abdulkareem, who police mentioned is believed to be a “disgruntled former affected person” of the dental workplace.

El Cajon Police mentioned in a publish on X that, thus far, “there isn’t any indication the assault was racially or politically motivated.”

However many consider in any other case.

“It’s a kind of terrible issues that you just pray that will by no means occur in your metropolis,” El Cajon Mayor Invoice Wells mentioned. “It’s extra regarding that the individual that was killed was Jewish as a result of, as everybody is aware of, we’ve seen an enormous improve within the quantity of people that have been concerned in violence and has been focused over the previous 3-4 months.”

“Why was it Ben who needed to be murdered in chilly blood, the purest soul taken by an act so hateful and violent?” Jacob questioned. “In these occasions of a lot stress and battle for what? We should always all love one another we’re all made out of the identical flesh and bones.”

Many individuals spoke in the course of the vigil, honoring and remembering Benjamin’s life and the generosity, pleasure and positivity he shared.

“I want I may spend yet one more day with him,” Jacob added. “We have to unfold the love and the peace that he was all about.”

His household mentioned they’re planning to create a basis in Harouni’s honor, aiming to unfold love, kindness and peace, and dispell hate.

Abdulkareem has been booked into the San Diego County Central Jail on a number of felony expenses, in response to police. He faces one rely of homicide and two counts of tried homicide. Police additionally famous that additional investigation into the incident may reveal extra felony expenses.

He’s scheduled to be arraigned subsequent week.