FBI arrests Cornell student for allegedly threatening to rape and murder Jews

The Justice Department announced Tuesday night that a Cornell University junior has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Jewish students. Patrick Dai, 21, allegedly posted on an online forum for fraternities and sororities that he was "gonna shoot up" a Cornell dining hall where kosher meals are served, "stab" and "slit the throat" of any Jewish males he found on campus, rape any Jewish females and throw them off a cliff, and behead Jewish babies. He also allegedly threatened to "bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews." 

Dai is expected to appear in federal court on Wednesday and be charged with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communication, the Justice Department said, adding that "the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." The charges carry a maximum five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Dai, an engineering student, was arrested after the FBI, New York State Police, and Cornell and Ithaca police raided his apartment Tuesday evening, The Cornell Daily Sun reported. He was questioned by the FBI early Wednesday and admitted posting the messages, the student newspaper said, citing an FBI affidavit. 

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The online threats prompted an increased police presence at Cornell and a visit from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), but no suspension of classes or building closures.

The incident at Cornell came amid tensions on college campuses over the Israeli-Hamas war and a sharp uptick in antisemitic and anti-Arab or Muslim threats and hate crimes following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas militants and Israel's destructive response, Axios reported. An 8-year-old Palestinian American boy was fatally stabbed outside Chicago, and a Nevada man was arrested last week for threatening Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is Jewish. John Anthony Miller, 43 allegedly called Rosen's office a number of times from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19 leaving his name, phone number, and messages like he was "gonna finish what Hitler started," USA Today said, citing federal court records.