A man from Minnesota was taken into custody for allegedly threatening to “shoot up” a synagogue in Minneapolis, as per officials’ announcement on Saturday.
Staff at Temple Israel alerted the Minneapolis Police Department on Sept. 11 about multiple threatening phone calls they had received from an individual planning to attack the synagogue. Subsequently, on Thursday, a special police team assigned to provide additional security around Temple Israel in anticipation of the Jewish new year and the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, spotted a man outside the premises carrying a firearm. Although he fled the scene, law enforcement officers apprehended a 21-year-old suspect the following day.
“Every resident in Minneapolis has the right to feel secure in their surroundings, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of our Jewish community members as they observe their religious holidays,” stated Minneapolis Police Chief Brian Chief O’Hara during a press briefing. “We take any threats directed at our religious institutions seriously and will hold accountable those who pose a threat to any place of worship within our city.”
Chief O’Hara mentioned that the suspect had utilized a phone application to disguise his voice while making repeated threats against the synagogue.
Although no firearm was recovered, the man was arrested for making “terroristic threats,” and charges will be forwarded to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. O’Hara clarified that there was no evidence suggesting the threat was motivated by anti-Semitism, but he expressed concern over the timing of the threats.
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“Following the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, the most severe terrorist incident targeting our Jewish community since the Holocaust, our law enforcement officers have been vigilant in locations where malicious rhetoric has been directed towards our residents and community members solely based on their Jewish faith,” O’Hara added.
