MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man who fired a rifle at a mosque next to his home shortly after the deadly attacks in Paris has apologized, saying he acted out of fear.
The Hartford Courant reports (http://cour.at/1ZUKMKe) Ted Hakey Jr. made the comments during Saturday’s symposium at the Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden.
Hakey told mosque members that fear is “always when you don’t know something,” adding that he wished he’d taken the time to understand them before acting.
The mosque was empty and no one was hurt when Hakey opened fire hours after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Prosecutors say Hakey’s Facebook account contained evidence of animus toward Muslims.
Hakey pleaded guilty in February to a federal hate crime of damaging religious property. Sentencing is May 10.
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