A 69-year-old Jewish man died Monday, November 6, 2023, after suffering a head injury at a protest in Thousand Oaks over the Israel-Hamas war, according to law enforcement officials.

Paul Kessler, who was part of a pro-Israel group protesting opposite a Free Palestine rally on Sunday, died hours after he fell backward and hit his head on the ground during a confrontation between the two groups.

While investigators have identified a suspect in the incident, no arrests have been made, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said at a news conference. Witnesses from both sides of the protests have shared “conflicting statements” about what led to Kessler’s fall and who the aggressor was, Fryhoff said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

An autopsy determined Kessler died as a result of a blunt force head injury and ruled the manner of death a homicide, according to Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner, Christopher Young. However, Young said the manner of death doesn’t necessarily point to criminal intent, only that the “death occurred at the hands of another person or the actions of another person contributed to the death of a person.” Medical determinations of homicide can be legally ruled self-defense or justified.

Young said Kessler suffered a fatal injury to the back of his head that was “consistent with and typical of injuries sustained from a fall.” Kessler had “nonlethal injuries” on the left side of his face, which Young said could have been caused by a blow to the face.