Indianapolis man sentenced in 2020 drive-by shooting of Masjid E Noor Mosque

Jen Guadarrama, Indianapolis Star
·1 min read
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Jonathan Warren, 22, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the drive-by shooting of the Masjid E Noor mosque in 2020.

Warren, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty to transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, a news release from the United States Attorney's Office stated. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

Between May and August 2020 Warren sent several threats and attempted to kill a person twice, both times firing indiscriminately into crowded areas.

The Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network (IMAN), holds a press conference at the Masjid E-Noor Mosque in Indianapolis, Thursday, May 28, 2020. The press conference was held in response to a incident on May 24th, which is the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, celebrated at the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting during daylight hours, and Muslims may perform acts of charity. On that holy day, a handful of members praying inside the mosque when it was sprayed with gunfire, narrowly missing them.

On May 24, 2020, Warren fired into the person's house before driving by and shooting into the Masjid E Noor mosque. Multiple worshipers were at the mosque, as it was the Eid al-Fitr, or the “Festival of the Breaking of the Fast.”

Days later, on June 9, 2020, Warren fired multiple shots in the Pangea Apartments parking lot on West 34th Street, causing people to flee.

The case drew wide attention and was investigated by the FBI and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

After his federal prison term, Warren must spend five years on probation, the judge ordered.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, welcomed the sentence.

“We welcome this strong sentence as a clear indication that attacks on minority faith communities will not be tolerated and the perpetrators will face justice,” said CAIR Director of Research and Advocacy Corey Saylor in an emailed statement.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis shooting: Man sentenced in 2020 drive-by at mosque