A 21-year-old New York State resident has been arrested and charged threaten to carry out one mass shooting And violence against Jewish students at Cornell University
Patrick Dai, a junior at Cornell originally from Pittsford, New York, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint accusing him of posting threats to kill or injure another person via interstate communications, the Department of State said Justice.
The charge against him could carry a sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Dai is expected to appear in federal court in Syracuse before a magistrate on Wednesday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the arrest in a tweet on Tuesday, just days after the school’s message board was flooded with vicious anti-Semitic threats.
A suspect was arrested Tuesday for allegedly threatening a mass shooting and violence against Jewish students at Cornell University (photo)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the arrest a day after meeting with Jewish students at Upstate New York University
“Law enforcement has identified a person of interest in connection with the threat of a mass shooting and anti-Semitic violence at Cornell University,” she wrote.
“This individual is currently in the custody of the New York State Police for questioning.”
Hochul visited Cornell in Upstate New York on Monday to meet with Jewish students targeted in the wave of pro-Palestinian protests following Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“When I met with Cornell students yesterday, I promised them that we would do everything possible to find the perpetrator,” she said.
“Public safety is my top priority and I am committed to fighting hate and prejudice wherever it emerges,” she wrote.
On Sunday, a series of despicable messages were written at the Ivy League university in upstate New York threatening Cornell’s Jewish community and, in particular, its kosher dining hall.
One post threatened to shoot Jewish students on campus, others called for more graphic violence, and a third said the Jewish student center – like Israel – should be eliminated altogether.
University President Martha Pollack told the Cornell community that she had notified the FBI of the threats. On Monday, the agency confirmed it had opened an investigation.
“We take all threats seriously and are working closely with Cornell and our law enforcement partners at every level to establish credibility, share information and take appropriate investigative action,” the agency wrote in a statement.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our communities and we will not tolerate violence motivated by hatred and extremism.”
The Ivy League school was hit Sunday with a series of vile messages that threatened Cornell’s Jewish community and in particular its kosher dining hall
Cornell — and many other college campuses — have seen an increase in anti-Semitic activity since Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Anti-Semitic graffiti was sprayed on campus sidewalks last week, and before that, a professor — who has now taken a leave of absence — publicly called the Hamas terror attack “exciting” and “enervating.”
Rabbi Ari Weiss, director of Cornell Hillel: ‘Students are afraid. They are concerned about their safety.”
On Monday, the White House announced a larger mobilization effort from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Education to combat hate speech on campuses across the country.
DOJ and DHS have shared public safety information with law enforcement on campus, and the Justice Department has expedited the referral of anti-Semitic complaints to the Civil Rights Division.
A New York State Police Department cruiser is parked in front of Cornell University’s Center for Jewish Living, in Ithaca, NY, Monday, October 30, 2023
Spray-painted messages such as “Zionism equals racism” and “Israel is fascist” appeared on the sidewalks of Cornell University’s campus in upstate New York
If successful, the idea is to streamline the analysis and feasibility of Title VI complaints, which are tied to federal funding going to U.S. universities.
During a news conference at the White House on Monday, Karine Jean-Pierre said the president had the Cornell community in mind.
“President Biden has been clear: We cannot stand by and remain silent in the face of hate. We must denounce anti-Semitism without hesitation. We must also denounce Islamophobia without hesitation,” she said from the podium.