A Cornell University student has been arrested for allegedly making threats to murder Jewish students and behead their babies. The incident has raised concerns about growing antisemitism nationwide and how the Biden administration is responding to these threats. Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old engineering student, was taken into custody on October 31 after allegedly posting threatening messages on a message board for campus Greek life. The criminal complaint states that Dai wrote, “Watch out pig Jews. jihad is coming. nowhere is safe. your synagogue will become graveyards. your women will be raped and your children will be beheaded. glory to Allah.”
Dai is accused of using multiple usernames, including “kill jews,” “hamas soldier,” and “sieg heil,” to make these posts. He also allegedly threatened to “shoot up 104 west,” a campus dining hall that serves kosher food, and claimed that he would “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig Jews.” As a result, he has been charged with making threats to injure or kill another using interstate communications.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dai’s mother, Bing Liu, suggested that her son’s behavior may have been influenced by the medication he was taking for anxiety and depression. According to Liu, Dai had previously taken three semesters off college and had been prescribed an anti-depressant earlier this year. However, he claimed that the medication was not effective.
Following his arrest, Dai’s defense lawyers provided his mother with an apology post that he allegedly made hours after making the threats. The post reads, “Apologies. There is no room for divisive statements in person or online. I am sorry.” It also acknowledges the wrongfulness of calling for violence against innocent civilians and expresses regret for targeting his classmates.
Liu believes that Dai’s apology should have been shared with the public by prosecutors and the FBI. She argues that the public deserves to know the whole story. Meanwhile, Dai remains in jail in upstate New York and is awaiting a bail hearing.
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of antisemitism and the need for swift and decisive action to address such threats. It also raises questions about the role of medication in influencing individuals’ behavior and the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to provide transparency in high-profile cases. As the investigation continues, the Cornell University community and the broader public will be closely monitoring the developments in this troubling case.
