NY man pleads guilty to firing shots outside Jewish synagogue in Albany

An upstate New York antheral pleaded blameworthy Tuesday to firing 2 shotgun blasts extracurricular a Jewish synagogue successful Albany connected the archetypal nighttime of Hanukkah successful 2023.

Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, had been arrested astatine the country extracurricular Temple Israel connected Dec. 7, 2023, aft the gunfire sent the synagogue into lockdown.

Alkhader shouted “Free Palestine!” extracurricular the location of worship and aboriginal told national investigators that “events successful the Middle East person impacted him.” He opened occurrence precisely 2 months aft Hamas attacked Israel, sparking the brutal and ongoing war successful Gaza.

Temple Israel successful Albany, New York. (Google)

“The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying enactment targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the close of each idiosyncratic to practice their religion without fearfulness of violence,” U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman said successful a statement.

Alkhader pleaded blameworthy to obstructing the escaped workout of spiritual beliefs by menace of force, brandishing a firearm during a transgression and conspiring to acquisition a firearm unlawfully. He faces a minimum of 7 years successful prison astatine his sentencing proceeding successful June.

More than 60 children were wrong Temple Israel astatine a daycare erstwhile Alkhader opened fire, according to investigators. No 1 was wounded by the blasts, and Alkhader’s weapon jammed earlier helium could occurrence a 3rd shot.

The firearm conspiracy complaint was added due to the fact that Alkhader acquired the limb from different man, Andrew Miller, who illegally bought it for him successful November 2023. Miller copped to his relation successful the conspiracy and was sentenced to 14 months down bars.

With News Wire Services