A guy from Illinois was charged with hate crimes after purportedly threatening to shoot two Middle-Eastern men on Thursday.
According to a news release from DuPage County, Larry York, 46, of Lombard, Illinois, who is facing two counts of hate crime, a Class 4 Felony, was denied pretrial release.
One of the victims was waiting in a car for another at an apartment complex when York allegedly “approached” the car and asked the victim what he was doing there. He began yelling at the man, telling him he did not belong in this country and to go.
According to the statement, York is said to have punched the man’s car window before returning to the building’s lobby. York allegedly threatened to beat up a second victim in the lobby and swore at him before lifting the end of a bench, sending the man sitting on it tumbling to the floor.
York then threatened to shoot the two males.
In addition, it has been claimed that York yelled at the men, “f**k you f***ing Muslim motherf*****s,” throughout the encounter. “ Motherf****ers, I’m going to shoot you, so get out of here!”
CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab stated that after the incident, he praised the police for their actions.
Rehab said they commend law enforcement for quickly apprehending and charging the offender in this “sad occurrence.”
He said If we want to have any hope of deterrence, this is what we need to do.
The CAIR director said there has been a surge in hate crimes in Chicago, the city’s worst since 9/11. There is a distinct sense of fear across the neighborhood.
This alleged occurrence follows another recent incident in which a man in Illinois was charged with murder and hate crimes for the stabbing deaths of a 6-year-old boy and his mother. Authorities believe the mother and boy were targeted because of their religion and the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
