As Hannukah begins, one man decides to go insane in Albany, New York, and open fire with a shotgun on a synagogue. Given the media’s penchant to either bury or not call things what they are for the sake of protecting a particular narrative, let’s call this what it is: domestic terrorism. The man reportedly yelled, “Free Palestine,” after police arrested him. The good news is that no one was injured or killed during this attack (via NYT):
A man fired a shotgun on the grounds of an Albany, N.Y., synagogue on Thursday afternoon and later said, “Free Palestine,” according to the police, sending the building into lockdown and prompting a hate crime investigation hours before the beginning of Hanukkah.
No one was injured, and a suspect was quickly arrested nearby.
The Albany police chief, Eric Hawkins, said the authorities were investigating the shooting, which occurred around 2 p.m. at Temple Israel in the state capital, as a hate crime.
The man fired two shots while making “threatening statements,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a briefing on Thursday. The man then tried to flee but was held by a bystander and later by the police, who arrived after receiving a report of a man with a shotgun acting suspiciously.
Before he was arrested, the man dropped the shotgun and told the bystander he was being “victimized,” according to the police. As he was being taken into custody, he said, “Free Palestine,” the police said.
If this were a mosque, the media would’ve been all over it. Still, I fear that this attack, plus the Indianapolis woman who intentionally drove her car into what she thought was a Hebrew school and the radical Palestinian who was plotting an assault on Houston’s Jewish community, will get buried. The last two have already been suffocated with a pillow.
***
UPDATE: The suspect was identified as Mufid Fawaz Alkhader.
Albany, New York Temple Israel Synagogue shooter Mufid Fawaz Alkhader's mugshot.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 8, 2023
Alkhader yelled "Free Palestine" as he shot off a shotgun on the premises of Temple Israel and appeared to have torn down an Israeli flag or sign, according to law enforcement.
Children were… https://t.co/gxOPsWR3zp pic.twitter.com/aidIYTsssD
NBC News: The man who allegedly fired a round from his shotgun outside Temple Israel in Albany, NY earlier today has been arrested and identified as Mufid Al Khader, 28, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) December 8, 2023
Reported w/ @chloe_aatkins
More from USA Today:
A man suspected of firing shots outside a synagogue in Albany, New York hours before the first night of Hanukkah who yelled, "Free Palestine," now faces federal charges, FBI officials confirmed.
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, FBI spokesperson Sarah Ruane confirmed to USA TODAY. He is due for an initial court appearance on Friday at 10 a.m.
It's unclear if Alkhader has an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
"Thanks to the swift coordination between the ATF, FBI, and our partners at Albany Police Department and New York State Police, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person," Ruane wrote.