Guyanese American Charged in Stabbing of Five Orthodox Jews

An American man with Guyanese roots has been charged with the stabbing of five Orthodox Jews at a rabbi’s Hanukkah party in New York.

“Thomas”Grafton Thomas, whose mother Kim Thomas is reportedly an immigrant from the Caribbean community nation,was locked up in a Westchester County jail and placed on $5 million bail. He faces state charges of attempted murder,plus federal charges of obstructing the free exercise of religion in an attempt to kill.

Thomas, 37, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, allegedly entered the party in Monsey, New York late last month carrying a machete. He allegedly wounded five people in the attack.

Law enforcement officials said he searched “Why did Hitler hate the Jews” on the Internet. He also reportedly searched for temples “near me” and also possessed journals with the words “Nazi Culture”.

Defenders of Thomas, including his mother, said he is mentally ill. Kim Thomas reportedly said her son was under suicide watch in jail.

“We believe the actions of which he is accused, if committed by him, tragically reflect profound mental illness for which ... Grafton has received episodic treatment before being released,” a statement from Thomas’s family noted.

Michael Sussman, the lawyer defending Thomas, said his client has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was sexually abused as a child and was prescribed antipsychotic medication.

“How many more like him are there, and what are we going to do about it?” Sussman told reporters at a press conference. “We have to look ourselves in the mirror.”

However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the attacka “blatant act of domestic terrorism that sought to inflict violence, incite hate and generate fear.”