7/28/06 Seattle, WA Mentally Disturbed Man Attacks Jewish Federation

30-year-old Naveed Afzal Haq, a U.S.-born man of Pakistani descent allegedly killed one woman and injured five during a shooting spree at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. The suspect claimed he was "angry at Israel" and upset over the conflict in the Middle East. He also had a history of mental illness. He has had several run-ins with the law over the years, and was charged in March with lewd conduct after he allegedly exposed himself to a young woman at a mall in Kennewick, Wash. He has appeared in court in a dispute over unemployment benefits and had flunked out of dental school and had difficulty holding down a job. Apparently after the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict began, Haq reportedly purchased two semiautomatic handguns from separate shops in the Kennewick area. The sequence of events leading up to the shooting suggests Haq carefully planned his attack and carried it out calmly. First, he allegedly found his target on the Internet, reportedly by searching for "something Jewish," according to Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. Haq allegedly purchased the handguns after waiting the five days mandated by Washington state law, meaning he made a deliberate effort to obtain weapons -- and had nearly a week to plan, or reconsider, the attack. According to a family lawyer, Haq had attempted to own a gun before, but his mother reportedly took it away from him because of his condition. Just hours before the shootings, a Seattle police officer ticketed Haq for being illegally parked, later saying Haq did not exhibit suspicious behavior or otherwise arouse the officer's suspicion. After that, Haq allegedly waited outside the Jewish center behind a potted plant near the door. He then waited for a young girl with access to the building to open the door before taking her hostage, forcing his way in. Once inside, Haq allegedly began shooting randomly, hitting six women - one fatally.