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Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old junior originally from Pittsford, New York, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 31 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications, according to prosecutors in the Northern District of New York.
Dai allegedly 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.
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," federal prosecutors added.
The charge filed against Dai carries a maximum term of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
Dai was expected to make his initial appearance on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in federal court in Syracuse, before a United States magistrate judge.
Dai is being held at the Broome County Correctional Facility under an agreement with the US Marshals Service to house federal inmates.
"Mr. Dai will remain in our facility at their discretion," Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar said, noting that Dai is being housed in the medical wing under 24-hour supervision, in line with our policies given the details of his charges.
“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."
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes the New York State Police, is investigating this case along with the Cornell University Police Department and the Ithaca Police Department.
The Northern District of New York is prosecuting the case, in conjunction with the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice.
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