A student from Cornell University has been detained in jail after being accused of making violent threats against Jewish students. The individual, identified as Patrick Dai, 21, was arrested for allegedly making “horrendous” anti-Jewish death threats that put the school on high alert. Dai, a junior majoring in engineering at the university, has been charged with posting threats to kill or injure others using an online public school forum. The charges against him can result in a maximum term of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The complaint states that Dai posted threatening messages in the Cornell section of an online discussion site, including posts calling for the deaths of Jewish people and a specific post mentioning “gonna shoot up 104 west.” The 104 west refers to a Cornell University dining hall that caters to students following Kosher diets. Prosecutor Geoffrey Brown requested Dai’s detention, highlighting that he had visited the dining hall before making the threats. Dai voluntarily waived his right to a detention hearing and was subsequently ordered to be detained without bail and handed over to the custody of US Marshals.
On Sunday night, Cornell University was placed on high alert following a series of “horrendous, antisemitic” online threats against its Jewish community. The threats prompted New York State Police troopers to identify Dai as a person of interest, leading to his formal charges. Dai’s father, speaking to the New York Post, mentioned his son’s battle with severe depression but denied his involvement in the crime. Joel Malina, Cornell’s vice president for university relations, condemned the threats and expressed support for the prosecution of the responsible individuals.
The FBI swiftly worked to identify and apprehend Dai, who posted threats under different aliases such as “hamas,” “jew evil,” and “jew jenocide.” Cornell University Police Department issued a community alert for the entire city of Ithaca after the online threats, stating that the targeted locations were intentionally selected due to the perpetrator’s bias. Cornell university president Martha Pollack condemned the threats, emphasizing the university’s commitment to keeping the community safe and combating antisemitism.
New York governor Kathy Hochul also denounced the posts as “disgusting” and “hateful.” The incidents at Cornell University are not isolated, as tensions have risen on college campuses across the US since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. Reports indicate a significant increase in reported incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and assault since then. The Council on American-Islamic Relations documented numerous complaints and bias incidents against Muslims nationwide. It should be noted that hate crimes against Muslims are often underreported.
In recent weeks, a Cornell professor was forced to take a leave of absence after making controversial comments about the Hamas attack on Israel. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties and injuries, with the UN’s humanitarian office reporting over 8,300 deaths, primarily among women and children, and tens of thousands of injuries in retaliatory attacks on the Gaza Strip.
