MINNEAPOLIS– A minnesota man was charged with making terroristic threats for allegedly saying he was a Minneapolis Synagogue.
The 21-year-old was charged Monday with assault and three felonies of threatening violence. His public defender did not immediately return an email and voice message from the Associated Press seeking comment on Tuesday.
Temple Israel and police said they do not believe he was motivated by anti-Semitism. Minneapolis police said synagogue security knew the man, who lived at a nearby center for homeless teens and young adults.
Security told police the man threw an empty beer bottle into the synagogue parking lot in September. When security confronted him, he threw the bottle at the guard, who then used pepper spray on him.
Later that day, police said the man used a phone app to mask his voice as he repeatedly called and threatened the synagogue, leading to a lockdown. He was referring to the pepper spray incident.
Later, a special police detail was assigned to provide additional security Jewish New Year and the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
An officer from that department was notified Thursday of a man outside with a firearm. He fled the area, but officers arrested the 21-year-old man the next day.
Officers found no weapon.
Police said the man told them he “has no problem with the Jewish community or religion, but does have a problem with the guards,” according to a probable cause statement.