Vigil Held for Paul Kessler, Jewish Man Killed at Counter-Demonstration in Thousand Oaks (VIDEO)

Very sad.

At the Los Angeles Times, "‘He has become a symbol’: Paul Kessler mourned as questions about his death haunt community":

Paul Kessler was remembered this week as a proud Jew.

He and his family had been longtime members of Thousand Oaks’ Temple Etz Chaim, where Rabbi Ari Averbach said they had been involved over the years, though not recently.

Still, Kessler remained active in his community, recently answering a call from a neighbor to stand opposite a pro-Palestinian demonstration that popped up at a nearby intersection as the Israel-Hamas war escalated.

“Like most Jews, he has a love for Israel, believes that Jews should be allowed to live in Israel,” Averbach said of Kessler. He didn’t know Kessler’s exact views on Zionism, but the rabbi said Kessler stood for Jewish people’s right to live and prosper without harassment or fear.

Kessler held an Israeli flag Sunday afternoon at the corner of Thousand Oaks and Westlake boulevards — surrounded by almost 100 others on both sides of the dueling protests — when he became involved in an altercation with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.

Kessler fell to ground, hitting his head. Hours later, the 69-year-old died at a hospital.

Over the last four days, people in the Conejo Valley and beyond have been mourning Kessler’s death while also awaiting the results of a law enforcement investigation into what happened. No one has been arrested in his death, though authorities have said they have identified a suspect.

The lack of a resolution to the case — and lingering questions about exactly what happened to Kessler — has hung over memorials and tributes...