11 new charges filed in Jewish Federation shootings; defendant pleads insanity

King County prosecutors this morning filed 11 additional criminal charges against Naveed Haq, who is accused of killing one woman and wounding five others last summer during a shooting rampage at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

In response, Haq's attorneys filed pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity to the new charges and the nine others he already faced, effectively announcing the defense strategy.

In a hearing before Superior Court Judge Paris Kallas this morning, prosecutors received permission to charge Haq with five additional burglary counts, five malicious harassment charges and one charge of unlawful imprisonment.

Haq, 31, a Tri-Cities man with a history of mental illness, was already facing one count of aggravated first-degree murder for the slaying of the charity's fundraising director, 58-year-old Pamela Waechter. He also had been previously charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of kidnapping, burglary and malicious harassment, the state's version of hate crime.

Prosecutors said Haq's violent criminal spree is more accurately represented, though, by the 20 charges in total he now faces.

Haq's trial is scheduled to begin in January. If convicted on the murder charge, Haq will receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors elected not to seek the death penalty against Haq because of his mental health issues.

Haq is accused of forcing his way into the secure Belltown offices of the federation on July 28 by holding a gun to the back of a 14-year-old girl.

He carried two guns, court documents allege, and spewed anti-Semitic statements as he made his way through the office, randomly shooting people he encountered as some screamed and tried to escape or hide.

The shooting came a day after the FBI had warned Jewish organizations nationwide to be on alert after Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon and al-Qaida's second in command urged that the war raging in the Middle East be carried to the U.S.

Haq reportedly told operators in a 911 call during the shooting, "These are Jews. I want these Jews to get out."

But law enforcement officials said that while Haq identified himself as an "American Muslim," he was acting alone and had no ties to terrorist organizations.

Defense attorney C. Wesley Richards said Haq has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder that has put him in the hospital twice and led him to numerous suicide attempts.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com.

Information from Seattle Times reporter Natalie Singer is included in this report.