Man sentenced to 10 years for firing shotgun at upstate NY synagogue while shouting ‘Free Palestine’

A New York man is sentenced to 10 years in prison for firing a shotgun at a synagogue in Albany in December 2023. The shooting was an early example of violence directed at Jews following the October 7 attack and subsequent Gaza war.

Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, is sentenced for charges including conspiring to illegally straw purchase a firearm, obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs with a dangerous weapon, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, the Department of Justice says.

Alkhader, a resident of the nearby city of Schenectady, took an Uber to Albany’s Temple Israel on December 7, 2023, shortly into the Gaza war and during Hanukkah. When he arrived at around 2 p.m., he approached the synagogue’s front entrance and fired the shotgun into the air twice while shouting “Free Palestine.”

He tried to fire a third time, but the weapon jammed. He then attempted to tear down an Israeli flag outside the synagogue before being arrested, the Department of Justice says.

“Mr. Alkhader’s violent actions were fueled by hatred for individuals simply because of their faith. That hatred caused tremendous terror within the Temple Israel community – and the Jewish community as a whole – as they were preparing for the first night of Channukah,” says Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “We hope this sentence can play an important part in the community’s continued healing process, but can also serve as a notice that violence, especially borne from hate, will not be tolerated.”

Another suspect in the case, Andrew Miller, lied to a gun store in Albany to purchase a shotgun for Alkhader. Miller was sentenced to 14 months in prison, the Department of Justice says.