MERIDEN — Ted A. Hakey Jr. feared his Muslim neighbors. So much so that in a drunken state on a November night in 2015, he picked up one of his guns and fired several shots at the mosque next to his home.

On Saturday afternoon, Hakey faced his fears — members of Baitul Aman "House of Peace" Mosque — and apologized for the fear and pain he brought to them.

"I was drinking that night more than I probably should have been," he told more than 50 members and guests who attended a symposium titled "True Islam and the Extremists" at the mosque.

"As a neighbor, I did have fears, but fear is always when you don't know something. The unknown is what you are always afraid of. I wish I had come knocked on your door, and if I spent five minutes with you, it would have made all the difference in the world. And I didn't do that.

"Going forward," he added, "I want to help you bridge that gap and help someone else not make the same mistake I did. ... Everything happens for a reason and I believe some good will come out of this."

The mosque, whose motto is "Love for all, hatred for none," lived up to its name by forgiving Hakey soon after the bullet holes were discovered.

"We don't just follow it, we follow it and practice it in all we do," said Wajid Danish Ahmed, youth director of the Connecticut chapter of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

No one was injured in the incident, and the mosque was unoccupied at the time. Hakey pleaded guilty in federal court in February to intentional destruction of religious property, a federal hate crime. Hakey faces eight to 14 months in prison when sentenced in May.

Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, president of the Meriden mosque, said they invited Hakey to a meeting several weeks ago and said it was "very emotional." They agreed that Hakey would make an appearance at the symposium.

"We all had tears, and words cannot express that," Qureshi said. "We will be better neighbors and what was said that day made a huge difference to us. We greeted and we hugged just like a Muslim neighbor. We know why he did what he did — because he never heard our message. We now see it in his heart and we see it in his eyes."

Qureshi said that although there was some fear after the bullet holes were discovered, the police came out immediately and officers and detectives stayed the night to investigate.

"People keep hearing bad things about the police," he said. "But this was a good thing. We as a community came together and we want to thank the police department for their service."

Qureshi also announced Saturday that the mosque had raised $6,300 to provide the police department with more than 100 blood-clotting devices that help control bleeding in victims of accidents and shootings.

During a search of Hakey's house after the shooting, FBI agents seized 24 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. He used a high-powered rifle to fire the shots from his home into the outside wall of the mosque. One bullet passed through the mosque's prayer area. Agents also discovered anti-Muslim writings on his social media accounts.

Hakey said Saturday that he was going through a "tough time," and quickly added that he was offering no excuses for his behavior.

"It went against everything I stand for," said the former Marine, who also apologized to the Marine Corps. "After this happened, I begged the FBI to let me come over and apologize. I read in the papers where [mosque members] weren't going to be afraid and keep worshipping. I feel God is very proud of your whole congregation for that. You all stood up and you came. I just ask for your forgiveness."

After the symposium ended, Hakey said he felt "overwhelming kindness."

The Rev. Norm Erlendson, a minister the Third Congregational Church of Middletown who attended the symposium, said he has known members of the mosque for years. He said there will be no peace on Earth until there is peace among religions.

"My faith teaches me the beauty of reconciliation and forgiveness," Erlendson said. "We saw a great, beautiful example of that today."

Sana Shah of Middletown, a member of the mosque, said that after the shooting and the arrest, it's "all about forgiveness.

"God will forgive you," she said. "Reconciliation will bring peace and harmony. I felt compassion for him when he said he didn't mean it. He has asked for forgiveness."

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