A security guard protecting a synagogue in Los Angeles ordered a transgender woman standing on a public sidewalk with a camera to “get away” before shooting her in the leg
“Fucker shot me. Fucker shot me in the leg,” exclaimed Zhoie Perez, who runs the YouTube channel Furry Potato Live., part of a growing movement of First Amendment auditors who record public officials and security guards in public to test their knowledge of the First Amendment.
The security guard evidently failed the audit, ordering her away after he shot her, claiming it was only a warning shot for refusing his order.
He has since been arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He was identified as 44-year-old Edduin Zelayagrunfeld, according to ABC7.
“I was just filming the exterior of the synagogue and getting a lot of the architecture and all that,” Perez said.
After the shooting, she got down on the sidewalk and behind a car. She says the security guard came out and continued to confront her.
“He leaves the gate, comes out on the sidewalk with his gun drawn again and says ‘Try to break in. That was a warning shot, I’ll kill you for real next time,'” Perez recalled.
Perez was treated and released at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
Perez is a self-described 1st Amendment auditor and posts videos to YouTube under the handle “Furry Potato.” The account, which has more than 17,000 subscribers, contains videos of Perez and others going to public places and testing the limits of their 1st Amendment rights. Perez, however, said she was not attempting to conduct an “audit” when the shooting took place.
“I was just filming the exterior of the synagogue here, and getting a lot of like, the architecture, and all that, and the guard came out and just started freaking out, started putting his hand on his gun,” Perez said.
Perez said she began live streaming the incident after the guard drew his weapon. Video she posted to YouTube shows her standing a few feet away from the synagogue’s gate when the gunshot is fired. The guard appeared to have his gun pointed toward the ground.
Montgomery said the guard, who was not identified, had been detained. He was still being interviewed by detectives at the LAPD’s Wilshire division Thursday night. The guard fired the shot from the synagogue’s property onto the public sidewalk, where Perez was standing, according to Montgomery.
The incident took place around 12:20 p.m. at the Etz Jacob Congregation/Ohel Chana High School, sending the school into lockdown.
The shooting takes place shortly after the four-minute mark.
“Why are you recording me, why are you recording this institution” demands the security guard before the shooting, who is wearing a Star of David next to the American flag on his uniform.
Because she can.
On the website, Perez describes herself as a “YouTube creator that is passionate about the rights that we have as American Citizens. I create internet content that will hopefully educate people about their rights while holding police and government officials accountable to us. I strive to do this in a fun and entertaining fashion. The goal is to help sustain our rights that were given to us by our founding fathers! “
Police wasted no time in handcuffing her as they came across her lying on the sidewalk in pain from the gunshot wound with a camera in her hand.
