UPDATE, 10 A.M.
ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) — WHCU has learned that Patrick Dai will appear in federal court in Syracuse today at 2:30 p.m.
Dai is currently being housed in the Broome County Correctional Facility until his transport to court, per an agreement with the U.S. Marshall Service to house federal inmates there.
“Mr. Dai is currently housed in our medical wing under 24-hour supervision, in line with our policies given the details of his charges,” said Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar. “It is our responsibility to ensure the health and safety of those in our care no matter how heinous their alleged crimes may be. Mr. Dai will be afforded the same treatment and protection under the law as any incarcerated individual in our facility while they await their day in court. Make no mistake, on a personal level, my strong support for the Jewish community, both locally and across our nation, remains unwavering and the entire Broome County Sheriff’s Office stands together against antisemitism, racism, and hate in all their forms.”
ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) — A 21-year-old Cornell student is accused of making threats online to Jewish students.
The US Attorney’s office has identified Patrick Dai as the person behind threats over the weekend to kill Jewish students on campus. Dai, who’s a junior at Cornell, also allegedly threatened to “shoot up” the Jewish dining hall at 104 West. On Tuesday, Governor Hochul announced an unnamed person of interest was in police custody.
Dai is charged with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications. Dai is expected to appear in federal court today.
Following news of the arrest, Cornell VP for University Relations Joel Malina released this statement:
“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.
“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.”
