A Cornell University student was charged on Tuesday in connection to the antisemitic threats posted online over the weekend, including one that threatened a mass shooting at 104 West, the home of the Center for Jewish Living and the University’s kosher dining hall, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a press release.
Patrick Dai ’24, an engineering student, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications. 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 3 years. He is set to appear before a judge on Wednesday in federal court in Syracuse, New York before a United States Magistrate Judge.
Dai was interviewed by the FBI at the Cornell Police Department on Wednesday and admitted to posting the messages, according to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Michael Renn. The interview was audio and video recorded and Dai had been read his rights, Renn said in the affidavit.
In an interview with the New York Post, Dai’s father asserted that his son is innocent. “My son is in severe depression.