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The Seattle Jewish Federation shooting occurred on '', July 29 , 2006 . King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng described the shooting as "one of the most serious crimes that has ever occurred in this city".1 __TOC__ EVENTS Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske alleged that the suspect, Naveed Afzal Haq, had selected his target by researching "something Jewish" on the Internet. Haq is said to have legally purchased two semi-automatic handguns in Seattle-area stores, receiving the weapons on July 27 , 2006 , after the mandatory Waiting Period had expired. Haq allegedly received a traffic ticket on the way to the shooting, but did nothing to arouse the officer's suspicions.2 Shortly before 4 p.m., Haq is reported to have forced his way through the Jewish Federation building's security door armed with two large-caliber Semi-automatic Pistol s, a knife, and extra ammunition. Police believe Haq entered the lobby of the building and grabbed the 14-year-old niece of Federation employee Cheryl Stumbo, whom Haq later shot. Haq allegedly held a gun to the girl's back and forced her to use the intercom in order to gain entry to the Federation's offices.3 With a gun to her back, Haq reportedly told the girl, "Open the door," and "careful", as she was buzzed into the building. Haq then said, "I'm only doing this for a statement," and proceeded to follow the girl up the stairs to the second floor. Haq stopped to ask receptionist Layla Bush about speaking with a manager, at which point the girl walked to a bathroom and locked herself inside. At this point, Cheryl Stumbo asked fellow employee Carol Goldman to call 911. Her niece, in the bathroom, heard her and dialed 911. But, before Goldman could complete a call, Haq shot her in the knee. "KIROTV.com. Charges Filed In 'Heinous, Tragic Hate Crime". Aug. 2, 2006 Witnesses reported that Haq began shouting "I'm a Muslim American ; I'm angry at Israel" before he began his shooting spree. Haq is reported to have walked down the hallway, shooting into offices as he passed by. Haq then shot three more women in the abdomen: Layla Bush, Stumbo, and Christina Rexroad.4 Pamela Waechter received a gunshot in the chest. As the wounded Waechter attempted to flee down a flight of stairs, Haq allegedly reached over the railing and shot her for the second time in the head, killing her. Dayna Klein, a Federation employee who was five months pregnant, heard the shots being fired and as she went to the door of her office, Haq fired at her abdomen, but the bullet missed, hitting her raised arm. According to Klein, Haq then moved to another section of the building and Klein, bleeding profusely, crawled to her desk and dialed 911, despite Haq's threats to kill anyone who called the police. Haq eventually returned to Klein's office and discovered her on the phone, at which point he reportedly shouted "Now since you don't know how to ... listen, now you're the hostage, and I don't give a (expletive) if I kill you or your baby." Klein told the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' that Haq "...stated that he was a Muslim, (and) this was his personal statement against Jews and the Bush administration for giving money to Jews, and for us Jews for giving money to Israel, about Hezbollah, the war in Iraq, and he wanted to talk to '' CNN ''." Klein then offered Haq the phone and suggested that he tell the dispatcher what he had just told her.5 Still pointing his gun at Klein, Haq took the phone and informed the police that he had taken hostages. He repeated his previous explanation that he was upset about the , 2006 .8 After the shooting, a , 2006 . LEGAL PROCEEDINGS On .12 The prosecution, however, ultimately decided not to seek the death penalty because of Haq's history of mental illness. During a hearing on August 10 , 2006 , Haq surprised the court by indicating that he wished to enter a guilty plea on all charges. The judge refused to accept this plea before a Competency Hearing had been conducted. Additionally, experts consulted by the '' Seattle Post-Intelligencer '' expressed doubts as to whether Haq would be allowed to plead guilty at such an early point in the legal process because the prosecution had not yet decided whether Haq would face the death penalty.13 On August 16 , C. Wesley Richards, Haq's attorney, told the court that Haq had changed his mind and chosen to plead not guilty. Additionally, Richards said that Haq was mentally competent to stand trial since he understood the charges against him and was capable of assisting in his own defense.1415 One of the most difficult decisions faced by King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng was whether to charge Haq with the death penalty. Two of the victims, Layla Bush and Carol Goldman, publicly opposed charging the shooter with a capital crime, with both saying that death would be "too easy for him."16 Additionally, prosecutors in Washington are required to consider " Mitigating Factor s" when deciding whether to seek the death penalty. In Washington State Mental Illness is considered a mitigating factor and Haq's lawyers provided the prosecution with records from Haq's 10-year history of treatment for mental health problems. On December 20 , 2006 , more than four months after initially charging Haq with aggravated murder, Maleng announced that Haq would not face execution, but, if convicted, would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of Parole . VICTIMS Five of the women were taken to Harborview Medical Center , where three were initially listed in critical condition and two in satisfactory condition, with one of the victims 17 weeks pregnant. Pam Waechter, the 58-year-old director of the Federation's annual fundraising campaign, was the only fatality in the shooting. She was described as a long-time volunteer for various social service organizations and as the mother of two adult children.17 Waechter was shot first in the chest and then in the head while she was fleeing. Christina Rexroad, a 29-year-old bookkeeper18 for the Federation and resident of , 2006 .22 Klein's actions during the shooting have been described as "heroic".23 Tammy Kaiser, a 33-year-old adult education director for the Federation was briefly hospitalized for injuries she received after dropping from a second-story window to escape the shooter. NAVEED AFZAL HAQ See Also: Naveed Afzal Haq Naveed Haq, an American citizen of Pakistan i descent living in Pasco, Washington , was reported to have a misdemeanor lewd conduct charge pending in Benton County after allegedly Exposing Himself In A Public Place . Although Haq identified himself as "a Muslim American" during the shooting, it appears that he "was rarely seen at a local mosque for more than 10 years" before the shooting, and even converted to Christianity at one point. He was Baptized in December 2005 at the Evangelical Word of Faith Center in Kennewick , but stopped attending church meetings a few months after his baptism. On the other hand, he is reported to have appeared at his family's mosque just two weeks before the shooting.24 JEWISH FEDERATION According to its website, The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, founded in 1926, exists to "ensure Jewish survival and to enhance the quality of Jewish life locally, in Israel and worldwide". Website of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle , retrieved , 2006 . REACTION The Federation issued a statement, saying: "Our federation colleagues so unmercifully and viciously attacked were spending their day as they normally do, providing for social and humanitarian services that benefited all of metropolitan Seattle. The hatred and violence visited upon them today offends the values that drove their work and passion for improving their neighbors' lives." Greg Nickels , the mayor of Seattle, said the city will provide outreach assistance to the local Jewish community, and that security patrols will be deployed to protect Synagogues and other Jewish buildings. The . CAIR Condemns Attack On Seattle Jewish Center . Jul. 29, 2006. Haq's own parents also issued a statement. It read, in its entirety, "We are shocked and devastated with this tragic event. Our hearts and condolences go to the family of the deceased lady. Our deepest sympathies go to those who have been injured and we pray for their speedy recovery. We could not have imagined for a moment that our son would do this senseless act. This is utterly contrary to our beliefs and Islamic values. We have always believed and practiced in fostering love, peace and harmony with everyone, irrespective of religion, race and ethnicity."26 Coincidentally, the July 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting occurred on the same day as another major antisemitic incident in America, the Mel Gibson DUI Incident , though, according to one opinion piece, the deadly attack received far less media coverage than the Gibson DUI incident. 27. MOTIVATION Prosecutor Norm Maleng has been quoted as saying, "Make no mistake, this is a hate crime" and that "there is no evidence the shooting itself was an act of terrorism". This statement has been used to describe Haq's actions as a Hate Crime rather than Terrorism (see also Definition Of Terrorism ). Others have taken a different view. Cinnamon Stillwell, the Northern California Representative for conservative organization Campus Watch , wrote: News of the shooting rampage at Seattle's Jewish Federation building last month involved the usual avoidance of the term "terrorism." Instead, the attack was labeled a hate crime and the perpetrator, Naveed Afzal Haq, just another in a long line of lone gunmen with a history of mental instability. As Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels put it, "This was a purposeful, hateful act, as far as we know by an individual acting on his own." While this may be true, trying to separate Haq's actions from the larger context of the war on terrorism is tunnel vision at its worst. It is not just hate that motivates such acts, but ideology. One needn't be a bona fide member of an Islamic terrorist group to share their outlook Writing in Seattle '', August 1, 2006. Accessed 14 August 2006: While Haq's violence exploded inside a political context—the Jewish Federation, Israel's war in Lebanon—his motivations were those of a frustrated man, who, according to SEE ALSO NOTES |
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