The commencement of Hanukkah, a Jewish festival of lights, was marred by an unsettling incident in Albany, New York, on Thursday.
The celebration, which has gained a deeper significance this year due to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the alarming surge in antisemitism, was disrupted when a man allegedly discharged a firearm on the premises of Temple Israel, while shouting "Free Palestine."
According to the police, the man fired a shotgun twice outside the Jewish temple in upstate New York, just hours before the start of Hanukkah. The suspect was then apprehended, during which he reportedly exclaimed, "Free Palestine." Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m., and a 28-year-old man was taken into custody, as confirmed by officials. The identity of the man was initially withheld by the police, but Governor Kathy Hochul revealed that he was a local resident. The suspect was later identified as Mufid Fawaz Alkhader.
Further details about the incident were provided by law enforcement. According to a source and a state official who spoke to CNN, the gunshots were fired into the air. Shotgun shells were discovered on a staircase leading to the front of the building, the police added.
Following the discharge of the firearm, the suspect reportedly fled a few hundred yards from the parking lot. He was then confronted by an individual in a vehicle, stated Hawkins, the Albany police chief. The suspect claimed to the man in the vehicle that he felt victimized, Hawkins added.
The suspect subsequently dropped the shotgun, and the police apprehended him. Based on the information gathered by the police, it appears that the man acted alone, and there was no broader threat to the community, Hawkins stated.
The FBI's Albany office issued an update on the incident early Friday morning. The update read, "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. More information will be provided by the United States Attorney's Office following an initial appearance scheduled for tomorrow at U.S. District Court in Albany."
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