Alkhader reportedly shouted 'Free Palestine' during the incident and later told authorities that events in the Middle East had impacted him.
Alkhader was arrested and federally charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person due to his unlawful use of marijuana.
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, a 28-year-old US citizen born in Iraq, fired shots outside Temple Israel synagogue in Albany, New York, on the first night of Hanukkah.
No injuries were reported, but the synagogue's nursery school was forced into lockdown.
The incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime.
On the first night of Hanukkah, a man fired shots outside Temple Israel, a synagogue in Albany, New York. The suspect, identified as Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, a 28-year-old US citizen born in Iraq, was arrested and federally charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. No injuries were reported in the incident, but the synagogue's nursery school was forced into lockdown, and children had to shelter in place.
Alkhader reportedly shouted 'Free Palestine' during the incident, which is being investigated as a potential hate crime. He later told authorities that events in the Middle East had impacted him. Alkhader's possession of the firearm is a chargeable offense due to his unlawful use of marijuana. His father has stated that Alkhader is mentally ill.
The incident occurred on the two-month anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel. In the wake of the incident, the New York State Police and the state's national guard have been directed to be on high alert and step up patrols of at-risk sites for Hanukkah. This incident follows previous threats to the synagogue, which received bomb threats in September.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned of an increase in hate crimes, including antisemitic threats, since the Hamas cross-border attack into Israel in October. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) has also reported a significant rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias incidents in the US.
The suspect, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, a US citizen born in Iraq, reportedly told authorities that events in the Middle East had impacted him.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned of an increase in hate crimes, including antisemitic threats, since the Hamas cross-border attack into Israel in October.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) has also reported a significant rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias incidents in the US.
