(JTA) — A man fired a BB gun and shouted “Jews, Jews, Jews” at three Jewish teens leaving a synagogue in Baltimore.
One of the pellets struck a window of the Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore, a traditional Orthodox institution, in Thursday’s incident.
The gunman, described as being “possibly of Middle Eastern descent,” drove away after firing the gun and shouting at the pedestrians on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. He has not been apprehended.
Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
“We want to stop that. We want to let people know that’s not going to be tolerated in our communities,” Cpl. John Wachter of the Baltimore County Police told the local CBS affiliate WJZ.
Scott Shellenberger, the state attorney in Baltimore County, told WJZ that the suspect could be charged with a hate crime in addition to other criminal acts.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
