SEATTLE, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The man who went on a deadly shooting spree inside the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle facility was found guilty of murder and a hate crime.
Naveed Haq was convicted Tuesday of aggravated murder, malicious harassment -- Washington's hate-crime statute -- five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of unlawful imprisonment, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday. The jury didn't accept the defense argument that Haq, of Pakistani descent, was criminally insane when the shootings occurred July 28, 2006.
It was the second trial for Haq. The first proceeding ended in a mistrial.
Pamela Waechter, the federation's campaign director, died and five other women were wounded in the shootings.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg called the case "our state's worst hate crime."
"Naveed Haq's intention was to frighten Jews everywhere and instill fear that they could be the next convenient target," Satterberg said after the trial. "The jury held that holding extremist views does not make you insane, but it does make you dangerous."
A date hasn't been set for sentencing, which could be either execution or life in prison without parole because of the aggravated murder conviction. Prosecutors said before Haq's first trial they wouldn't seek the death penalty.
