Man Who Fired Shotgun Outside Jewish Temple in Albany Yelled ‘Free Palestine’; No Injuries

By Hamodia Staff

A man arrested for allegedly firing a shotgun outside of an Albany Jewish congregation yelled ‘free Palestine’ to police, the Times Union reported.

Police arrested 28-year-old Mufid al Khader after he allegedly opened fire at Temple Israel, a Conservative Jewish congregation in Albany, N.Y., hours before the onset of Chanukah. No one was reported hit.

Khader allegedly fired two rounds from a shotgun around 2 p.m., police said. He was interviewed by counterterrorism officers following his arrest.

Workers at the temple noticed the armed man and placed the building, which included a day care center filled with children, on lockdown.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded a 388% percent rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States in the 17 days after Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement, “I am immediately directing the New York State Police and New York National Guard to be on high alert and increase the existing patrols of at-risk sites we had planned for the Hanukkah holiday, including at synagogues, yeshivas and community centers, and working closely with local law enforcement. This builds on the significant efforts we have taken to protect religious communities in the wake of the October 7 attacks. Make no mistake: the safety of Jewish New Yorkers is non-negotiable.

“Any act of antisemitism is unacceptable, and undermining public safety at a synagogue on the first night of Hanukkah is even more deplorable. As New Yorkers, we must stand united: this is not who we are. We reject hate, antisemitism and violence in all forms. And we have no tolerance for the forces of evil who are trying to tear our communities apart.”