The man who police have questioned in relation to the death of a Jewish man during a clash with pro-Palestinian protestors is a 50-year-old college professor, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Loay Alnaji, who teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California, allegedly hit Paul Kessler with a megaphone knocking him to the ground.

Police raided his home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Moorpark, California, on Sunday evening, we have learned.

‘My husband was getting home from Costco when he saw a SWAT team, six cops with rifles and full gear. Their vehicles were not police cars, they were unmarked,’ neighbor Milli Revezzo told DailyMail.com.

Loay Alnaji, who teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California , allegedly hit Paul Kessler with a megaphone knocking him to the ground. He is pictured after the incident

Loay Alnaji, who teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California , allegedly hit Paul Kessler with a megaphone knocking him to the ground. He is pictured after the incident

Loay Alnaji, who teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California , allegedly hit Paul Kessler with a megaphone knocking him to the ground. He is pictured after the incident

Paul Kessler, 69, died after he argued with a man when pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies clashed in Thousand Oaks, California

Paul Kessler, 69, died after he argued with a man when pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies clashed in Thousand Oaks, California

Paul Kessler, 69, died after he argued with a man when pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies clashed in Thousand Oaks, California

A female Palestinian supporter appears to be helping Kessler as he lay stricken on the pavement. He died the following day in hospital

A female Palestinian supporter appears to be helping Kessler as he lay stricken on the pavement. He died the following day in hospital

A female Palestinian supporter appears to be helping Kessler as he lay stricken on the pavement. He died the following day in hospital

‘It’s shocking,’ added Revezzo, a realtor. ‘As a Moorpark resident I don’t like when anything happens here, as we’re known as one of the safest cities.’

Alnaji is unabashed in his support for the Palestinian cause, posting online a video of an activist Shahid King Bolsen comparing the terror group Hamas with historic civil rights icons.

‘If someone asked me to condemn Hamas I would say, what’s the rush?’ Bolsen says in the video posted on Instagram. ‘Let’s let history decide.

‘You condemned Nelson Mandela until you didn’t, until he was a hero,’ he adds. ‘You condemned Mahatma Gandhi until you didn’t.

‘Let’s wait and see because you might change you mind on this one too. 

Bolsen, who was born Shannon Morris, is a 52-year-old American Catholic convert to slam who was sentenced to death in Dubai for murder. The court later reduced his conviction to manslaughter and he was released after paying compensation to the victim’s family, the New York Times reported in 2015.

Denver-based Bolsen has been accused of inciting violence against Americans and US businesses in Egypt, a claim which he denied. 

Kessler, 69, was struck down in Thousand Oaks, California, northwest of Los Angeles, when two rival groups protesting events in Israel and Gaza clashed. He died in the hospital the following day. 

The injury that killed him is believed to have occurred when his head hit the pavement.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles claimed Kessler was ‘struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor.’

Witnesses say the two sides began antagonizing each other and then it turned physical.

‘They were both on an even ground, and they were yelling at each other, and then the man brought his megaphone up and hit Paul, and Paul went down,’ one unidentified witness told ABC Los Angeles.

Records show that Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s – he had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates

Records show that Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s – he had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates

Records show that Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s – he had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates

Alnaji, 50, is married to Palestinian economics professor Nada Al Hammouri

Alnaji, 50, is married to Palestinian economics professor Nada Al Hammouri

Alnaji, 50, is married to Palestinian economics professor Nada Al Hammouri

Although people were inside Alnaji's house in Moorpark, California, on Wednesday morning, no-one would come to the door. A man shouted 'No comment' when our reporter knocked

Although people were inside Alnaji's house in Moorpark, California, on Wednesday morning, no-one would come to the door. A man shouted 'No comment' when our reporter knocked

Although people were inside Alnaji’s house in Moorpark, California, on Wednesday morning, no-one would come to the door. A man shouted ‘No comment’ when our reporter knocked

Witnesses told investigators that Kessler was involved in a scrum with other protestors. He fell back and hit his head on the ground. The Los Angeles Times reported that Kessler was hit in the head before falling back

Witnesses told investigators that Kessler was involved in a scrum with other protestors. He fell back and hit his head on the ground. The Los Angeles Times reported that Kessler was hit in the head before falling back

Witnesses told investigators that Kessler was involved in a scrum with other protestors. He fell back and hit his head on the ground. The Los Angeles Times reported that Kessler was hit in the head before falling back

Another witness, Lu Johnson, told the Ventura County Star that he was driving through the intersection where Kessler was hurt. Earlier, Johnson said he had seen Kessler standing outside of a Shell station waving a flag.

When the driver passed later, he saw Kessler on the ground bleeding from his head. ‘We were in shock. We saw that man on his back bleeding,’ he said. Around the same time, Johnson said that he saw a man on megaphone yelling.

Another witness to the alleged incident, Jonathan Oswaks, said he attended the Sunday protest with Kessler, and claimed that Alnaji confronted him first.

‘He stalked us. He got nowhere with the bigger guy, so he went after the smaller guy,’ Oswaks, 69, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

‘I could see a punch. The reason I know I could see a punch is because it was the white megaphone flying through the air.’

Johnson also said that the deputies that descended on the scene did not stop the man from using the megaphone. ‘I saw this go on and on over the next few minutes.’

A shrine to Paul Kessler has grown up around the site in Thousand Oaks where he was knocked to the ground

A shrine to Paul Kessler has grown up around the site in Thousand Oaks where he was knocked to the ground

A shrine to Paul Kessler has grown up around the site in Thousand Oaks where he was knocked to the ground

A man inside Alnaji’s home declined to open the door when DailyMail.com knocked on Wednesday morning. He shouted ‘No comment.’

Others on the street said that Alnaji had lived in the home for several years with his wife and two young children, and had been a pleasant neighbor.

Records show that Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s – he had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates.

In 2007 he bought a modern three-bedroom home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Moorpark, California – 13 miles from the site of Kessler’s killing for $605,000. According to the property site Redfin, it is now worth an estimated $877,000.

In the listing, the real estate agent stressed the home’s ‘amazing 84-inch high-definition video projector in living room for ultimate viewing.’

He married Palestinian economics professor Nada Al Hammouri on Christmas Eve 2015. They have three children.

Alnaji got a doctorate in business administration from Argosy University which closed its doors in 2019 after being accused of fraud and financial mismanagement.

On his Facebook page he has posted several messages in Arabic supporting the Palestinian cause.

In his most recent from three weeks ago, he wrote: ‘O Allah, release the captivity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque… Sooner than later……..Oh Allah, don’t deprive us of praying in it before we die…

‘Oh God, give victory to your weak servants in Palestine, and everywhere…O Allah, bind their hearts with the bond of patience and faith..’

Tensions have been growing between supporters of Israel and the Palestinians since Hamas’s October 7 surprise raid on the Jewish state in which some 1,400 people were killed.

Israel has launched a massive counter-attack on Gaza that has killed several thousand and resulting in around one-quarter of all buildings in the enclave being damaged or destroyed, according to estimates.

Alnaji’s stand against Israel’s actions took him to the streets of Thousand Oaks on Sunday afternoon, where the pro-Palestinian group was confronted by another supporting Israel.

Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s, records show. He had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates. He married Nada Al Hammouri on Christmas Eve 2015. They have three children.

Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s, records show. He had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates. He married Nada Al Hammouri on Christmas Eve 2015. They have three children.

Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s, records show. He had previously taught in the United Arab Emirates. He married Nada Al Hammouri on Christmas Eve 2015. They have three children.

Witnesses claimed Kessler was hit in the head with a megaphone by a pro-Palestine protester

Witnesses claimed Kessler was hit in the head with a megaphone by a pro-Palestine protester

Witnesses claimed Kessler was hit in the head with a megaphone by a pro-Palestine protester

Kessler was at dueling protests in California on Sunday, with some backing Israel and others who were pro-Palestine

Kessler was at dueling protests in California on Sunday, with some backing Israel and others who were pro-Palestine

Kessler was a dueling protests in California on Sunday, with some backing Israel and others who were pro-Palestine

Alnaji celebrates with friends in a picture he posted on his Instagram page

Alnaji celebrates with friends in a picture he posted on his Instagram page

Alnaji celebrates with friends in a picture he posted on his Instagram page

At 3:20 pm the two sides clashed and Alnaji allegedly hit Kessler in the face with his megaphone causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head.

He was taken to the hospital bleeding from the head and mouth and died the following day.

An autopsy determined he died from a blunt force head injury and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has called his death ‘an anti-Semitic crime’.

Videos of the Sunday protest shared on social media show another man with a megaphone shouting insults at pro-Israel protesters.

‘Hitler should’ve smashed you,’ the man shouted. ‘You will burn in hell. Israel will burn in hell… You will die.’

Authorities described the incident as isolated and not part of a larger effort.

Harrowing social media footage showed Kessler lying on the ground with a pool of blood under him as medics rushed to help him.

Photos from before the clash showed Kessler waving an Israeli flag alongside his wife, Cheryl. Rabbi Michael Barclay, who leads Temple Ner Simcha told the Los Angeles Times that the couple attended High Holiday services at his synagogue but hadn’t worshipped recently.

Barclay said that he regularly exchanged emails with Kessler but that he was not close with the family. He described the slain activist as a ‘man committed to peace and committed to Israel.’

Some witnesses have called for the man who hit Kessler to be arrested and charged with murder.

But Sheriff’s deputies are not convinced they have a watertight case and on Tuesday appealed for photos and videos of the incident.

‘What exactly transpired isn’t crystal clear right now,’ Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.

‘I can just tell you the information we’re getting is conflicting with one another. There was clearly an interaction between the two but what that level of interaction is is still unclear.’

Fryhoff said, ‘Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime and this is being investigated as a homicide.’

Rabbi Ari Averbach of Temple Etz Chaim told DailyMail.com Kessler was a ‘private, family man’ who ‘would not want to be remembered as a martyr.’

‘He was a husband and a father to two children,’ he said, adding that the family is now ‘heartbroken and in shock.’

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