The man, who is in his 70s, chose his victims because of their Muslim faith, as a reaction to the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the AP news agency.
“Both victims of this brutal attack were chosen by the suspect because they are Muslim and because of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East,” local police said in a statement.
The man, who is said to have been the family’s landlord, is now charged with murder, attempted murder and two counts of hate crime.
Biden: “hateful act”
US President Joe Biden called the killing a terrible, hateful act on Sunday.
“This horrific and hateful act has no place in America and goes against our fundamental values”