Man plotted mass shooting at Jewish preschool in Michigan, says US prosecutors
Gunman screamed antisemitic threats at Temple Beth El, then tried to illegally buy assault rifles to unleash ‘God’s wrath’
A convicted felon who threatened Jewish children and parents outside a synagogue in Michigan plotted to carry out a mass shooting at a daycare centre, US federal prosecutors have said.
Hassan Chokr, 35, shouted antisemitic slurs and menaced preschoolers and their families at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills in December 2022, while out on bail for an unrelated offence.
Just hours later, he drove to a gun shop in nearby Dearborn and attempted to buy three semi-automatic firearms, including an AR-15-style assault rifle and a Landor Arms automatic shotgun. Chokr allegedly told the store owner he planned to use the weapons for “God’s wrath”.
He was denied the purchase after a federal background check revealed a 2017 felony theft conviction and an active charge for assault with a deadly weapon. Chokr had lied on the firearms application, claiming he had no prior convictions or pending cases, according to the US Department of Justice.
Chokr pleaded guilty on 28 May to federal gun offences. Prosecutors say the attempted purchase was part of a larger plot to follow through on his threats against the Jewish community.
US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr said Chokr’s attempted gun purchase was part of what authorities deem a larger plot “to follow through on his menacing threats against parents and preschoolers as they walked into a place of worship.”
Surveillance footage from the shop showed Chokr handling multiple weapons. During the attempted purchase, he allegedly told staff: “It ain’t a fair fight out here… I’m going to even the score. Even the playing field real soon, brothers, real soon.”
Prosecutors also cited past social media posts, in which Chokr reportedly wrote: “Your Jew tactics will only backfire… A storm is coming to wipe you all out of our lives.”
At a previous court hearing, Chokr pulled down his trousers and exposed himself to the judge in protest at his arrest.
He now faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to £196,000.
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