Officials Remember Attack On Jersey City Police Officer, Others

JERSEY CITY, NJ — They were a father of five (whose daughter graduated from Cranford High School), a mother of three, a store employee who worked six days a week, and a young student.

Their names were Det. Joe Seals, Leah Mindel Ferencz, Douglas Miguel Rodriguez, and Moshe Deutsch.

State and local officials remembered on Thursday an anti-Semitic act of domestic terrorism a year ago that took the lives of four people in Jersey City while they were going about their jobs.

Leah Mindel Ferencz owned (with her husband) the kosher market that was the site of most of the attacks. Douglas Miguel Rodriguez, 49, worked at the store. Rabbinical student Moshe Deutsch from Brooklyn was helping the store owners with a project.

Suspects David N. Anderson, 47, and Francine Graham, 50 were killed in the gunfire.

Officials said that Seals, a police detective, was investigating a past murder in the Greenville section of Jersey City on Dec. 10, 2019 when he came upon a suspicious U-Haul, and was ultimately killed. The alleged shooters headed to the kosher market, where gunfire was exchanged. Police later discovered anti-Semitic messages on the internet they said were written by Anderson.

It was determined that if not for extensive police work, the suspects could have wreaked havoc on areas five football fields away.

On Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the rampage, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and local police and officials held a commemoration of the attack and a tribute to Seals (see photos above and video here).

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal led a virtual discussion "to reflect on the lessons learned, the policy initiatives to address issues of hate and bias, how law enforcement reports bias incidents and crimes, and what to do if you face discrimination," according to a release from the state.

Fulop said at the Jersey City ceremony, "Today serves a reminder of the sacrifice and commitment that law enforcement make every single day...to keep everybody else. Joe Seals served as an example of that, perhaps one of the best examples."

Last year, the New York Times wrote, "When cheaper housing drew friends to Jersey City, they followed, wanting more space for their three children. The arrival of dozens of Hasidic Jews to the predominantly black neighborhood came with tensions. Some longtime residents felt they were being pushed out. But the Ferenczes took to their new city eagerly, and their market was a boon to an area lacking kosher food. They had a reputation for being compassionate to employees, including Douglas Miguel Rodriguez."

Last year, a Jersey City school board member said that people should consider the "message" that led to the shooting. Message Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Steven Fulop asked her to resign or apologize, but she did not.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Jersey City residents became concerned when they again heard gunshots. In an unrelated incident, a 35-year-old man was killed in a shooting and another was wounded.

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