Police: Los Angeles synagogue shooting of 2 men stemmed from business dispute

LAPD: Business dispute led to LA synagogue attack

LOS ANGELES — The shooting of two men at a North Hollywood synagogue last year was prompted by a business dispute, an official said Monday.

One of the victims, Mori Ben-Nissan, was targeted in the attack and the other was a bystander, said Los Angeles Police Department detective Steve Castro, who is investigating the Oct. 29 shooting at the Adat Yeshurun Valley Sephardic Synagogue.

Both men survived after being shot in the knees or lower legs.

Police initially feared the synagogue shooting may have been a hate crime, but that theory was quickly dismissed. Detectives also investigated whether the shooting was connected to Israeli organized crime, but Castro said it was not.

Officials have linked Christopher Littlejohn to the synagogue attack. The 37-year-old was arrested Thursday by Beverly Hills police on suspicion of assault in a separate incident predating the synagogue shooting.

Castro said investigators were presenting their case to prosecutors Monday and additional charges against Littlejohn were expected.

District attorney’s office spokeswoman Jane Robison did not immediately know whether any charges would be filed against Littlejohn.

An attempt to reach Littlejohn at the Beverly Hills jail was unsuccessful.

Littlejohn is accused of pulling a gun on a resident on a street in the Beverly Hills assault. The victim was connected to the targeted victim in the synagogue shooting, Castro said.

He did not give details but said detectives established Littlejohn as a suspect after working with the FBI, Beverly Hills police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.