(NewsNation) — The killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in the Chicago area in what police believe may be a hate-motivated crime related to the Middle East conflict has served to underscore the possibility that both American Muslims and Jews may face security threats here at home.

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned last week that terror attacks are possible in the U.S.

“We cannot, and do not, discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil,” he said.

Communities are stepping up their security measures at schools, synagogues and mosques throughout the country.

On Friday, the Chicago Police Department said it is closely monitoring the situation and will “have an increased uniformed police presence across the city, including in our Jewish and Palestinian community areas and at all large gatherings, out of an abundance of caution.”

According to the FBI’s tracking of hate crimes, there were 1,124 hate crimes against Jewish Americans in 2022, the most recorded since 1995. Meanwhile, 158 anti-Muslim hate crimes were recorded last year, a slight increase from the previous year.

Jack Jupin, a retired FBI special agent, warned that both communities could face violence by those incensed by the Middle East conflict.

“It’s just not all anti-Israel, but there is anti-Palestinian people out there at all … they want to take revenge for what has happened in Israel. So you have seen it actually on both sides,” he said.