A Schenectady man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for firing a shotgun outside an Albany synagogue during Hanukkah celebrations in 2023, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to illegally buy a firearm, obstructing the free exercise of religion with a dangerous weapon, and brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence. His attorney information was not immediately available.
Prosecutors said Alkhader took an Uber to Temple Israel on Dec. 7, 2023, walked toward the entrance with a Kel-Tec shotgun, and twice fired into the air while shouting “Free Palestine.” The weapon jammed when he tried to fire a third time. Alkhader then tried to rip down an Israeli flag before police arrested him nearby, officials said.
The incident forced the cancellation of a concert and candle lighting ceremony and left congregants fearful to return, authorities said. At least two dozen children were in an on-site early childhood center at the time.
In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci ordered Alkhader to serve five years of supervised release. Alkhader’s co-defendant Andrew Miller was previously sentenced to 14 months in prison for helping him illegally obtain the shotgun, officials said.
Federal officials said the sentence sends a message that hate-fueled violence will be met with serious consequences.
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