Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, faces charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person after allegedly firing a gun at Temple Israel synagogue in Albany, NY.
Alkhader allegedly said he smoked “marijuana regularly when he was being interviewed by the members of a federal task force following his arrest.”
Law enforcement sources do not know if Alkhader will face state charges even though the shooting involved a shotgun.
A federal statute does not allow a regular user of narcotics to possess a firearm (right, Hunter Biden?!).
New York legalized marijuana “but it remains a Schedule 1 prohibited narcotic under the federal Controlled Substances Act.”
From The Times-Union:
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, a U.S. citizen who was born in Iraq, allegedly told members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco & Explosives task force that “events in the Middle East have impacted him,” according to a criminal complaint filed by an Albany detective who is a member of the ATF task force.Alkhader, a resident of Schenectady, allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” during the incident, according to city police and a person briefed on the matter. It’s unclear whether he said that while being arrested or when he fired the weapon — or both.The criminal complaint indicates that Alkhader had waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with law enforcement officers on Thursday after he was taken into custody and brought to the Albany Police Department.
The staff noticed the armed man outside the building. They immediately placed the building on lockdown, including an early childhood center filled with small children.
The suspect did not shoot anyone or damage the buildings.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said: “I have spoken to the rabbi at Temple Israel and assured her the state will do everything in our power to restore the sense of security her community needs.”
The police and FBI have chosen to investigate the shooting as a potential hate crime.
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