Man Sentenced for Shotgun Incident Outside New York Synagogue
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A man who discharged a shotgun near a synagogue filled with children just after the onset of the Israeli-Hamas conflict received a prison sentence in a federal court on Tuesday.
Mufid Alkhader, 29, was arrested in December 2023 after firing two shots into the air while shouting “Free Palestine!” outside Temple Israel in Albany. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident left many of the 61 kids in kindergarten and adult staff shaken, as they had to evacuate.
Rachel Mandel, a parent, spoke at the hearing about her daughter’s experience. “My daughter was in Hebrew class with a teacher whose child was on the other side of the building,” she shared. “Her amazing teacher embraced, hid, and comforted my child. She prepared herself and her children to die as victims of hatred.” It was a striking image—imagine being in that moment.
The shots were fired just hours before the first night of Hanukkah, occurring two months after the unexpected invasion by Hamas. According to federal prosecutors, Alkhader expressed dissatisfaction after firing the second shot, with a gun malfunctioning during his arrest, which somehow underscored the chaos unfolding in the Middle East.
Under a plea deal made with prosecutors in February, Alkhader admitted to interfering with the exercise of religious practices through threats of violence, brandishing a firearm in support of that act, and conspiring to illegally purchase firearms.
When addressing the court from his orange prison jumpsuit, Alkhader expressed remorse, saying he felt terrible about scaring people. “I know I wasn’t in my righteous heart,” he stated, seeking forgiveness for his actions.
His public defender advocated for a lighter sentence, pointing to Alkhader’s significant mental health challenges. Yet, Judge Anne Narudach leaned toward the prosecution’s view. She stated that Alkhader deserved a 10-year sentence for the distress caused to both children and adults at the synagogue.
Prosecutor Richard Bellis emphasized that Alkhader’s goal was to instill fear in those present in the building, which was simply unacceptable.
Alkhader has a background rooted in a Palestinian refugee community near Baghdad, having arrived in the United States in 2012 at the age of 16. Interestingly, another individual received a 14-month prison sentence last fall for procuring a shotgun as a “straw buyer” for Alkhader.
