Overview

• On Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader fired two shotgun rounds into the air outside Temple Israel in Albany while shouting “Free Palestine,” forcing 61 preschoolers to shelter in place.
• In February, he pleaded guilty to obstructing the free exercise of religion by threat of force, brandishing a firearm and conspiring to procure the shotgun through a straw purchase.
• Prosecutors argued that the Hanukkah-eve shooting terrorized children and congregants and urged the statutory maximum sentence, a stance that Judge Anne Nardacci adopted at sentencing.
• Defense counsel had sought leniency by citing Alkhader’s severe mental illness, but the court determined that accountability outweighed mitigation.
• A co-defendant received a 14-month term for making the straw purchase and Alkhader will begin five years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.