NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A 21-year-old junior at Cornell University was arrested Tuesday following deadly threats made against the Ithaca, New York's school's Jewish community, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications, officials announced late Tuesday.
The suspect was identified as Patrick Dai, originally from Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester. He is expected to make his initial appearance Wednesday in federal court in Syracuse before a United States Magistrate Judge.
Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on X, "Threatening a mass shooting or horrific antisemitic violence is outrageous and unacceptable. Grateful to our law enforcement partners who have worked to keep @Cornell students and all New Yorkers safe from the forces of hate."
Joel Malina, Cornell's vice president for university relations, said in a statement after Dai was charged, "Cornell University is grateful to the FBI for working so swiftly to identify and apprehend the suspect in this case, a Cornell student, who remains in custody. We also thank Cornell Police and Chief Anthony Bellamy for extraordinary efforts in supporting the investigation and protecting our campus community. The university will continue to provide assistance to law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as this case moves forward."
Malina continued, "We remain shocked by and condemn these horrific, antisemitic threats and believe they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We know that our campus community will continue to support one another in the days ahead. Cornell Police will maintain its heightened security presence on campus as the university continues to focus on supporting the needs of our students, faculty and staff."
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York, "The complaint alleges that Dai posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion site, including posts calling for the deaths of Jewish people and a post that said 'gonna shoot up 104 west.' According to information provided by Cornell University Police and other public information, 104 West is a Cornell University dining hall that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is located next to the Cornell Jewish Center, which provides residences for Cornell students."
The release elaborated, "In another post, Dai allegedly threatened to 'stab' and 'slit the throat' of any Jewish males he sees on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish females, and to behead any Jewish babies. In that same post, Dai threatened to 'bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.' The charges and the allegations in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
The charge filed against Dai carries a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
Officials confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that a suspect linked to threatening online statements targeted at Jewish students at Cornell University was arrested and is now in custody.
The anonymous threats emerged during a period of increased antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric on social media, fueled by the Israel-Hamas war, which kicked off after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
“We can confirm that a subject has been identified as a suspect in the antisemitic threats made against our Jewish students on Sunday and is currently in custody,” stated Joel M. Malina, Vice President for University Relations at Cornell.
“We thank the FBI and other law enforcement agencies for their coordination. We will update the public as we have further details to release,” Malina added.
During a Monday visit to Cornell’s Center for Jewish Living, Hochul had assured that state police were actively involved in the investigation, promising to hold accountable those responsible for online threats.
“No one should be afraid to walk from their dorm or their dining hall to a classroom,” Hochul emphasized. “When speech crosses over into hate speech and into hate crimes, that’s when we have to make sure that students know that we’ll step up and protect them.”
In response to the threats, the Cornell University Police Department has increased patrols and bolstered security measures to protect Jewish students and affiliated organizations.