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Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 28, of Schenectady, appeared in Albany federal court on Friday, Dec. 8, where he was arraigned on one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to the criminal complaint, Alkhader approached Albany’s Temple Israel, located on New Scotland Avenue, at around 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.
He then fired the weapon twice into the air, prosecutors allege.
Nobody was injured and there was no damage to the building, but the shooting sent the facility into a lockdown.
At least two dozen preschool-aged children were inside the building at the time, according to Albany Police.
The shots were heard by the temple's director of Early Childhood Center, who called 911. Officers were at the temple within minutes.
Alkhader reportedly tried running away but was confronted by a witness in a parking lot.
The witness told police that Alkhader mentioned feeling “victimized.” Responding officers and the witness heard him say “Free Palestine” as he was arrested.
Speaking at a press conference hours later, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
Alkhader was prohibited from possessing the gun under federal law due to prior marijuana convictions, according to prosecutors.
Following his federal arraignment, he was ordered detained pending trial.
If convicted on the federal charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He is also expected to face state charges.
The incident is being investigated by Albany Police, the ATF, and the FBI.
Following the shooting, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was directing the New York State Police and the New York National Guard to be on “high alert” and increase existing patrols of at-risk sites.
“Undermining public safety at a synagogue on the first night of Hanukkah is deplorable,” she said. “New Yorkers stand united against antisemitism, hate, & violence in all forms.
"The prospect of violence in a place of worship is not just an attack on the building. It's an attack on the very fabric of our society, our freedom to express our faith, our collective shared sense of safety."
Hochul said she was still planning on attending Shabbat services at the temple on Friday evening, Dec. 8.
The shooting comes amid heightened security concerns at Jewish schools and places of worship across the country amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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