NEW YORK, NY – A man is in police custody after a dramatic manhunt on Wednesday morning, following an alleged attempt to run down several Jewish students and a rabbi outside a Brooklyn school.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to the incident just before 11:30 a.m. on Glenwood Road in the 63rd Precinct. Authorities reported that a 58-year-old man was driving a white 2011 Ford Crown Victoria onto the sidewalk, seemingly with the intent to harm pedestrians.
Eyewitnesses indicated that the suspect targeted the Vien Yeshiva in the Canarsie neighborhood, making two attempts to hit Yeshiva Bochurim and a rabbi. Surveillance footage confirmed the suspect’s actions, showing him driving onto the curb and onto school property in an apparent effort to run over the individuals.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the suspect was apprehended shortly after the NYPD located him. The identity of the suspect has not been disclosed, and further details remain scarce. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is aware of the incident, with the investigation being led by the NYPD.
This incident adds to a growing list of antisemitic acts amid heightened tensions on college campuses across the nation, fueled by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Earlier this month, the U.S. House passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, aiming to address the rising tide of antisemitism on college campuses and expand the legal definition used to enforce anti-discrimination laws.