Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, N.Y., was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on Tuesday for illegally buying a gun, obstructing religious practice with a dangerous weapon and using a gun in a violent crime, the U.S. Justice Department stated.
Alkhader, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Albany in February, had faced between seven and 15 years in jail and up to $500,000 in fines.
He admitted to shooting a shotgun in the air outside Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Albany, on Dec. 7, 2023, and shouting “free Palestine.”
Alkhader fired the shotgun twice and tried to do so again, but the gun jammed, according to the Justice Department. He then tried to tear an Israeli flag down from a pole in front of the synagogue, after which police officers arrived and arrested him.
“As a result of Alkhader’s actions, Temple Israel was forced to cancel a planned concert and candle lighting ceremony to celebrate Chanukah that evening, and its congregants were afraid to return to their place of worship,” the Justice Department said.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights, stated that the department “stands firmly against antisemitism and all hate crimes.”
The shooting “was unfortunately emblematic of the antisemitic violence, rhetoric and practices that have swept this country over the last few years,” stated John Sarcone, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
“This year, the Justice Department has emphatically said—through its words and actions—no more,” he said. “My office, with our law enforcement partners, will do everything within our powers to make sure everyone in the Northern District of New York can exercise their right to practice their religion without fear of violence and hatred.”
In October, Andrew Miller, 38, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for purchasing the shotgun illegally for Alkhader.
