Suspect pleads non guilty in New York court after stabbing 5 at rabbi's home

A man went on a stabbing spree at a rabbi's suburban house in Rockland County, New York. 37-year-old Grafton Thomas allegedly entered the property and wounded five people by stabbing with a machete before fleeing the scene. Local media reported that the man stabbed several people during celebrations on Saturday evening for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. 

US synagogue attack

Victims were taken to nearby hospitals with no official details on their injuries. Police later arrested the suspect and produced him before a New York court on Sunday, December 29. Grafton Thomas was charged with five counts of attempted murder and the bail was set at $5 million. After his court appearance, Thomas was taken in handcuffs to a police vehicle and driven to Rockland County Jail.   

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US President Donald Trump expressed grief as he took to his official twitter handle to urge all Americans to come together to fight, confront and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-semitism. Trump on behalf of his wife Melania wished the victims a quick and full recovery. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the vicious attack on the Jewish community in the United States.

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The attack happened on Saturday at around 10:00pm on the seventh night of Hanukkah in Monsey, Rockland county. Rockland has the largest Jewish population per capita of any United States county, with over 90,000 Jewish residents. Yossi Gestetner, a member of the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) said, the attack took place during Hanukkah celebrations and the house had many people in there, one of the victims was rabbi's son. 

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In October 2018, a mass shooting killed 11 people that took place at a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The attack was classified as the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States. A man named Robert Gregory Bowers was arrested from the scene and charged with 63 federal crimes. 

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