Nicholas Rose, 26, is accused of making “kill lists” of prominent members of the Jewish community. Image by Orange County Police Department

By Aiden Pink June 3, 2019

An Orange County, California man who created “kill lists” of prominent Jews was sentenced to more than two years in jail after pleading guilty to threatening two churches and a synagogue.

Nicholas Rose, 28, was arrested last year after his parents told police their son wanted to “get a gun and kill some Jews,” the Orange County Register reported.

Law enforcement searched Rose’s apartment and discovered lists of well-known Jews in the entertainment industry, anti-Semitic literature, a step-by-step list called “killing my first Jew,” and notes referring to a synagogue in Irvine and two nearby churches he believed were too sympathetic to Jews. His internet history contained searches connected to white supremacist ideology and information about the range of a silenced rifle. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found in his car, though Rose did not own a gun at that time.

Antisemitism Notebook

Your weekly guide through the news and the noise of how rising antisemitism and disputes over how to address it are shaping American Jewish life.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Rose’s lawyer, Brian Gurwitz, said that while his client had used hateful language, he also had written some positive things about Jews. “They were the extremely disorganized thoughts of a young man suffering from mental illness,” he said.

As part of his plea deal, Rose will also have to complete a year in a residential mental health facility, five years of GPS monitoring and stay 500 yards from his victims.

“There is no place for hate,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a statement. “He is a danger to society and every resident of Orange County should be aware of the threat he poses.”

Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount