Montreal Man Sentenced to 5.5 Years for Shooting at Jewish School
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
A 23-year-old man, Abdirazak Mahdi Ahmed, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison in Montreal for shooting at the Merkaz Hatorah Jewish school in November 2023. The school was empty during the attack, and no one was harmed. Ahmed was identified through DNA and phone data, arrested in May 2024, and pleaded guilty in September 2026. While prosecutors lacked evidence of an antisemitic motive, the sentence reflects time served. The Canadian organization B'nai Brith praised the verdict and voiced concerns about increasing anti-Jewish violence.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Abdirazak Mahdi Ahmed received a 5.5-year sentence for shooting at a Montreal Jewish school.
- The shooting occurred at the Merkaz Hatorah school in November 2023.
- No one was injured as the school building was empty during the attack.
- DNA and cell phone data linked Ahmed to the crime.
- Prosecutors could not prove an antisemitic motive for the shooting.
- B'nai Brith welcomed the sentence and raised concerns about anti-Jewish violence.
A Montreal court has sentenced 23-year-old Abdirazak Mahdi Ahmed to five and a half years in prison for firing shots at the Merkaz Hatorah Jewish school in November 2023. The incident occurred early on November 12, 2023, about a month after Hamas's attack on Israel. The school building was empty at the time, and no one was injured. Police found three bullet holes in the entrance door and four 9mm shell casings. Investigators linked Ahmed to the shooting using DNA analysis and his mobile phone's location data. Ahmed was arrested in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in September 2026 to reckless discharge of a firearm. Prosecutors and the defense jointly recommended a 66-month sentence. The prosecution acknowledged a lack of sufficient evidence to prove an antisemitic motive. The sentence accounts for time already served in custody. Three days prior to this attack, the same yeshiva and another Montreal Jewish school were targeted, but Ahmed was not linked to those incidents. The Canadian organization B'nai Brith welcomed the court's decision, emphasizing accountability for attacks on Jewish institutions and expressing concern over rising violence against Canada's Jewish community and the involvement of young people in such crimes.
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