Man Who Sprayed Antisemitic Messages and Threatened to Rape Jewish Female Students at Cornell University Held

According to law enforcement authorities, a Cornell University student was detained on Tuesday and charged with making threatening online remarks toward Jewish students at the institution.

The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office, New York State police, and Cornell University Police jointly announced that Patrick Dai, 21, a junior from Pittsford, New York, is accused with making threats to kill or damage someone via interstate communications in a federal criminal complaint.

Whether Dai had retained legal counsel was not immediately apparent. The case has not yet been updated on the federal courts website. A Facebook message was not returned, and Dai’s Cornell email account was not readily accessible.

According to authorities, there is a five-year jail penalty associated with this offense.

Students attending the Ivy League institution in upstate New York were disturbed by the frightening words that were posted over the weekend on a forum regarding fraternities and sororities. During the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, there has been an increase in antisemitic and anti-Muslim statements on social media, which coincided with the anonymous threats.

On Wednesday, Dai is expected to appear before a United States Magistrate Judge in federal court in Syracuse, New York.

According to Joel M. Malina, vice president for university relations at Cornell University, the institution appreciated the FBI’s prompt efforts.

Malina released a statement saying, “We remain shocked by and condemn these horrific, antisemitic threats and believe they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” “We are confident that in the days to come, the people on campus will support one another.”

This past weekend, remarks were posted on a Greek life website unrelated to the university in Ithaca, New York, which is situated around 227 miles (365 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

According to the complaint, Dai’s threatening texts included calls for the murder of Jews and a threat to “shoot up 104 west,” a Cornell University dining hall that mostly serves kosher food and is close to the Cornell Jewish Center.

The lawsuit states that the texts threatened to behead any Jewish newborns, rape and toss down a cliff any Jewish females, and “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish men he saw on campus. Dai vowed to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews,” according to investigators, in the same post.

In response, the Cornell University Police Department stepped up patrols and made arrangements for more protection for Jewish groups and students. On Monday, a state police car was positioned in front of the Center for Jewish Living, blocking the roadway.

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York also visited the college as a result of the threats.

“I’m committed to fighting hate and bias wherever it rears its ugly head, and public safety is my top priority.” Hochul said in a statement on Tuesday prior to the arrests.