“My biggest concern, upon learning that this is in a synagogue, is that this is someone who intends to commit hate crimes and an act of domestic terrorism, and it’s not just a random user who walked around a synagogue,” Nessel said afterward. Voussoughian asked what his biggest considerations were about the event taking place at the time.

“Now we don’t know for sure, but we’ve noticed an accumulation of anti-Semitic rhetoric being trafficked across the country, and in the case of Michigan, that’s why I established the first hate crimes and domestic terrorism unit anywhere. “the state. . . because we were seeing an exponential increase in hate crimes and an exponential increase in the formation and club of those extremist organizations, many of which are white supremacist organizations,” he added.

AMERICAN MUSLIM GROUPS HAVE CALLED FOR THE RELEASE OF AAFIA SIDDIQUI

Nessel said one of his biggest considerations in Michigan, as well as across the country, is the “escalation of threats” against minority and Jewish communities.

“So if it turns out that’s the motivator here, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he said.

The suspect, later known through the FBI as Malik Faisal Akram, took hostage the incident that lasted for hours and ended with his death at the hands of law enforcement. There were no more injuries.

Siddiqui, whom he sought to free, is serving an 86-year sentence.

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Danielle Wallace of Fox News contributed to this report.

Brandon Gillespie is editor of Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.