Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday attended Shabbat services at Temple Israel in Albany, where a day earlier, police say a Schenectady man twice fired a shotgun into the sky before saying “free Palestine” during his arrest.
I caught up with @GovKathyHochul a short while ago after she met with members of the Jewish community at Temple Israel in Albany.
— Spencer Conlin (@SpencerReports) December 9, 2023
“I wanted to give them a message of hope and let them know that we’re here to protect them.”@SpecNews1Albany pic.twitter.com/h0lnmclaD3
The 28-year-old man accused of shooting a shotgun at Temple Israel in Albany on Thursday appeared in federal court Friday morning.
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader waived a detention hearing at the James T. Foley Courthouse in Albany, but has reserved the right to schedule one at a later date. Alkhader, who court documents say was born in Iraq but is a U.S. citizen, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and potential "adverse" impacts to his immigration status if convicted. A preliminary hearing will be held in 45 days or fewer.
Alkhader faces a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm, according to the US Attorney's Office. He was ordered detained pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel.
If convicted he faces 15 years in prison (max), a $250,000 fine and potential “adverse” impacts to immigration status. He is a U.S. citizen. Preliminary hearing will be in 45 days or less.
— Spencer Conlin (@SpencerReports) December 8, 2023
The criminal complaint, according to the US Attorney's Office, claims that Alkhader fired a pump-action shotgun into the air twice outside of Temple Israel around 2 p.m. Thursday.
Alkhader was seen acting suspiciously while walking around the temple before allegedly shooting the firearm Thursday, and fled on foot in a southbound direction before city police almost immediately apprehended him, authorities said. There were no injuries or fatalities.
"As an unlawful user of a controlled substance (marijuana), Alkhader was prohibited under federal law from possessing the shotgun," the press release reads.