Man fires shotgun, shouts ‘Free Palestine’ outside Jewish temple with preschoolers inside

A man fired a gun shot and shouted "Free Palestine" outside a Jewish temple in Albany, New York, on Thursday, where at least two dozen children - including preschoolers - were inside.

The 28-year-old suspect opened fire with a gun outside Temple Israel around 2 p.m. About 10 minutes after the shooting, a passerby talked to the gunman near the temple.

Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins told reporters at the scene that the man dropped the gun before officers arrived at the scene and took him into custody.

"The responding officers told us he made a comment saying, 'Liberate Palestine,'" Hawkins said.

However, no one was injured and the school was placed on lockdown. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a press conference that parents were notified and were able to retrieve their children, who have been released safely.

"The potential for violence at a place of worship is not just an attack on a building, it is an attack on the basic structure of our society, our freedom to express our faith, our collective shared sense of security," Hochul said.