Rodgir Cohen always thought of Redlands as a friendly, welcoming city.
“I’ve always felt Redlands to be a lot safer than other cities I’ve lived,” Cohen said Monday, Dec. 15, three days after his family was targeted in what police have said is a potential hate crime.
Cohen, who previously ran for state Assembly and the Redlands City Council, moved to the city in 2021 after stints in Lake Elsinore, El Paso and overseas. He said he and his family have never faced any hostility in Redlands for their Jewish faith.
But on Friday night, Dec. 12, something happened to challenge that notion.
Officials are investigating a reported drive-by shooting with an estimated 20 rounds fired at Cohen’s home on Magnolia Avenue, followed by a racist obscenity shouted from a car, based on an account of the incident posted by Cohen’s eldest son on social media that includes security camera footage.
The family’s yard is filled with blue Hanukkah decorations, which the Cohens refer to as “Hanukkah Town.”
The Cohens had just come home from dinner Friday when family members realized one of their phones had been left behind at the restaurant. Cohen said he and his eldest son went back out to the car to retrieve it.
A man and two women, who were apparently arguing about money, were near the car. The family does not know any in the trio, Cohen said.
“My son said that when he walked to the car he saw the man was holding something threatening in his hand and felt apprehensive,” Cohen said. The man yelled “free Palestine” and a racist slur at Cohen’s son.
“My son is accustomed to hate slurs,” Cohen said, adding that his son was accosted by protestors as a Jewish student at UC Irvine in 2024.
“About two minutes later, my other son texted me: ‘There’s something like firecrackers, the dog is going crazy,’” Cohen said. “We pulled back around and looked at the security camera footage.”
The footage shows the car with the man and two women drove past their house, firing out the window at the inflatable Hanukkah decor.
“So there’s an intent to cause damage to Jewish imagery,” Cohen said.
Cohen teaches religion and politics at colleges and universities around Southern California, including a course on religion and violence at CSU Fullerton this past semester.
“Because I teach the subject matter, I’m sometimes a bit more sterile or academic with it,” he said. But Friday’s incident literally brought it home: “Most people are good but there are nefarious people out there who are targeting people of Jewish heritage.”
The Redlands Police Department’s investigation is still active as of Monday afternoon, according to spokesperson Carl Baker. The incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime. Police said Sunday the weapon used was likely an airsoft gun, as officers found no shell casings around the house.
The department also said it would provide additional patrols in the area and also around places of worship within the city. Redlands’ Congregation Emanu El will provide security at all in-person Shabbat evening services until further notice, the synagogue announced on its web page.
Redlands’ Jewish community plans to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah on Saturday, Dec. 20, with a “Light Up the Night” menorah-lighting event at 5 p.m. in Ed Hales Park, 101 E. State St.
In the days since the Cohens reported the incident at their home, there has been an outpouring of support for the family, from individuals, civic groups and governments.
“As our friends in the Jewish community begin their celebration of Hanukkah, several tragic incidents have occurred across the globe, targeting people simply because of their faith. Unfortunately, Redlands is not immune to these hateful acts,” the city of Redlands posted on Facebook.
The Redlands incident came the same weekend as a mass shooting near Sydney, Australia, killed at least 15 people who were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called it an act of antisemitic terrorism.
“The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is saddened by the act of violence targeting a home displaying Hanukkah decorations in our community and by the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney,” the department posted to social media Sunday.
“No one should ever feel threatened for expressing their faith or identity. These acts of hatred, whether here at home or abroad, stand in stark contrast to the values of tolerance, dignity, and unity that bind us together,” the post continued. “We must stand in solidarity with those affected and reaffirm that violence and extremism have no place in our communities.”
Cohen said he thinks his family will avoid public events this year.
“A lot of people are coming to me, telling me that they’re sorry, that they feel this sense of hate and animosity rising,” he said. “It’s universal, I think; it’s all over Southern California.”
The shooting on Magnolia Avenue in Redlands came two weeks after a Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation billboard in Yucaipa was defaced with an anti-Native American message on Thanksgiving Day.
Those responsible do “not to reflect the values shared by most in our large Southern California community,” the tribe wrote in a statement released after the attack.
Anyone with information regarding the drive-by incident in Redlands or any suspicious activity is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at 909-798-7681, ext. 1. Some non-emergency crimes may also be reported online using the Redlands Police Department’s CopLogic reporting system at CityofRedlands.org/report-crime.