Washington synagogue's windows smashed

Unknown elements use pellet gun to fire at synagogue, Jewish-owned stores. Police checking possibility act was hate crime

Yitzhak Benhorin|Published: 04.19.11 , 23:16

WASHINGTON – Unknown elements used a pellet gun to shatter the windows of the Beth Sholom synagogue in Washington D.C. on Monday – Passover eve. They also fired at the window displays of a women's clothing store and jewelry store owned by Jews. Police have yet to trace the suspects and have not ruled out the possibility the act was a hate crime.

The shooting occurred on Monday night when the synagogue was empty. There were no injuries. A synagogue element told NBC News that the motive for the crime was unclear. The jewelry store owner estimated it was a childish prank.

Police are currently looking into both scenarios and are working to trace the owners of a car seen in footage from the shopping center's security cameras.

On Tuesday, a synagogue on the Greek island of Corfu was targeted in a late-night arson attack that damaged books and community documents. The synagogue was closed at the time and nobody was injured.