Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for 2020 shooting at Indianapolis mosque, multiple attacks on Muslims

Civil rights groups are welcoming the sentencing of a man to more than 12 years in prison for his multiple attacks targeting Muslims, including a drive-by shooting at a mosque in Indiana in 2020. 

From May through August 2020, Jonathan Warren of Indianapolis reportedly sent multiple threats and attempted a killing multiple times, each time firing randomly into crowded areas.  

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was sentenced by US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. 

In May 2020, Warren perpetrated a drive-by shooting at the Masjid E Noor Mosque during an Eid el-Fitr celebration.  

In June 2020, according to court documents, Warren shot his gun multiple times into the parking lot of an apartment complex, causing multiple people in the vicinity to flee in fear. Warren was then tracked down and arrested following the examination of shell casings at his crime scenes. 

At the time, the local group the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network as well as the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for an investigation into a possible biased motive for these crimes. 

Following such incidents, CAIR points mosques to their "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety" booklet, which advises mosques on security. 

Hate crime rates have increased over the past several years, with multiple studies pointing to the election of former President Donald Trump as an impetus for such attacks.