California Synagogue Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty

Defendant John Earnest listens during testimony by a witness during a preliminary hearing in Superior Court in San Diego. Earnest pleaded guilty on July 20, 2021. John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP, Pool,File

SAN DIEGO—A 22-year-old former nursing student pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder and other charges in connection with a deadly shooting at a Southern California synagogue on the last day of Passover.

John T. Earnest avoided the death penalty with his plea in San Diego Superior Court. The San Diego County district attorney’s office said he agreed to serve the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 30.