The man who slashed a Jewish barber with a knife in an antisemitic assault last year was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday.
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that Ahmed al Jabali was handed a sentence of six years in state prison and three years of post-release supervision for his "vicious, antisemitic assault on a Jewish barber in Yonkers."
On August 29, 2024, al Jabali entered the Yonkers barbershop of Slava Shushakov and asked for a shave, before snatching a pair of barber’s shears and repeatedly attempting to stab Shushakov, slashing him in the arm and hand several times.
During the assault, Al Jabali called Shushakov an “[expletive] Jew" and shouted other antisemitic slurs. Shushakov - an immigrant from Uzbekistan - said in the felony complaint at the time, "He doesn't like Israel, he doesn't like the Jews, he wanted revenge for some reason, and he took my scissors and started attacking me."
“The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize combating antisemitism and all hate crimes," said Cacace. "There will be no tolerance for this type of despicable behavior in our community.”
BREAKING: Ahmed Al Jabali, of Yonkers, has been sentenced to 6 years in state prison and 3 years post-release supervision after pleading guilty to attacking a Jewish barber in August. @News12WC pic.twitter.com/NZPuiXQU5t
— Jade Nash (@jadenashtv) May 29, 2025
Al Jabali pleaded guilty in April 2025 to Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime, a class C violent felony.
What was the judge's statement?
Judge James McCarty, who delivered the sentence, said, "You admitted to and committed a reprehensible act, which hurt another person."
Al Jabali apologized to Shushakov via a translator in court, however the victim told News 12 Westchester "Sorry,' You know,... can be just a word."
The Westchester Jewish Council said, "We hope that the prosecution of this crime sends a strong message that this type of conduct is not tolerated in Westchester."