Hassan Chokr at a gun store (U.S. Attorney photo)
Hassan Chokr, 38, of Dearborn, was sentenced Wednesday in Detroit federal court to 2 years and 10 months in prison after going on an antisemitic tirade outside a Bloomfield Township synagogue in December 2022.
According to court documents, Chokr drove through the parking lot of Temple Beth El as Jewish parents walked their preschoolers into the building, yelling, “Do you support Israel . . . How dare you . . . You are going to pay . . . Fuck Israel and Jews!” He repeatedly called a Black security guard the n-word and yelled, “Y’all are going to die!”
After being asked to leave, Chokr drove to a gun store in Dearborn. While there, he looked at a variety of weapons, held each one in his hands, and at times pointed and aimed them with his finger on the trigger.
After deciding to purchase three firearms, Chokr lied on a background check form about his eligibility to possess firearms, indicating he had never been convicted of a felony offense when, in fact, he had been several years prior.
While awaiting the results of the background check, Chokr indicated that he would “even the score” and use the guns for “God’s wrath.” He ultimately was denied the purchase of the firearms after the background check. He had been convicted in Livingston County in 2017 of a financial crime. Chokr previously was committed to a mental health institution under order of the Wayne County Probate Court.
He pleaded guilty to illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving the synagogue.
In a sentencing memorandum his attorney Nabih H. Ayad wrote: "While having a few minor charges in his criminal history, Mr. Chokr has never been a violent individual and has never hurt anyone. Throughout his life, as early as age 15, Mr. Chokr has suffered from mental illness. During the pandemic, his mental health declined, and he suffered a mental break also exacerbated by the loss of his dog. After being found incompetent due to his mental health issues, after treatment."
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in a statement:
“Chokr’s sickening antisemitic threats and his apparent attempt to make good on them with guns are part of an alarming pattern of violence against believers. And we will do everything in our power to fight against this hatred and to protect the American family and their right to worship God without fear.”
“The sentencing of Hassan Chokr reaffirms that reckless actions endangering children and their parents outside of a daycare have no place in our society,” added Reuben Coleman, acting head of the Detroit FBI. “The FBI in Michigan has zero tolerance for threats to our citizens and remains firmly committed to protecting the communities we call home."
