By COLlive reporter
College roommates of Khaled Awad, the man accused of stabbing Chabad Rabbi Shlomo Noginski eight times outside a Jewish school in Brighton, Massachusettes Thursday, say he was “violent” and “very much anti-Semitic,” CBS Boston reported.
Investigators say Awad approached Rabbi Noginski outside the Shaloh House Thursday afternoon, chased him and stabbed him. When officers found the suspect, they say he pointed a gun at them before surrendering.
One of Awad’s former friends at the University of South Florida, Eric Valiente, told CBS Boston that Awad was “violent” and “anti-Semitic.”
Aidan Anderson, a former roommate of Awad’s who is Jewish, told CBS Boston he had to move out and get a restraining order last fall when Awad attacked him in their shared kitchen.
“He was very much anti-Semitic. He would say like all types of Jewish jokes. I thought he was joking at first and then I started to see seriousness in his comments,” said Eric.
Awad is an Egyptian who overstayed his student visa and lost his legal status on May 14, Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Fox News.
Noginski was released from the hospital on Friday and returned home to recover with his wife and 12 children, while Awad was arraigned in Brighton District Court.
The rabbi, who is Russian-born and father of 12 children, released a video statement Saturday night thanking people from around the world for the outpouring of support.
“I’m feeling relatively well, although still in pain,” Noginski said. “Yes I’m in pain, but it could have been so much worse. It is also especially important that the assailant encountered me, and I was therefore able to divert his attention from the school and the children.”
Noginski said he hopes to return to his duties as soon as possible, and offered a message of hope.
“One message I would like to share with you is that the way to respond to darkness and evil is by increasing in acts of goodness and kindness,” he said.
VIDEO: Rabbi Shlomo Noginski Recovering At Home After Brighton Stabbing
Speedy full Recovery. Thank you for your heroism and message of acts of kindness.
Re the criminal: Hope they investigate his sources of hate and stop any future calamities g-d forbid.
That he didn’t use the gun C”V
I’m very surprised that the animal that wanted to kill a Jew because he’s Jewish, is antisemitic