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Patrick Dai, a Cornell University student accused of threatening to kill Jewish students on Cornell’s campus, appeared in court for an arraignment hearing in Syracuse Wednesday.

Dai, a 21-year-old junior from Pittsford, NY, did not enter a plea, CNN reported. He appeared in the James M. Hanley Federal Building in downtown Syracuse after being arrested Tuesday. Prosecutors said Dai posted threats that he would kill Jewish Cornell students and “shoot up” the university’s Kosher dining hall, 104 West, on the online forum Greekrank.

Dai faces federal charges for posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications. The posts were made on Oct. 28 and 29.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul first released an announcement that state police had a person in custody in relation to the threats on Tuesday.

“When I met with Cornell students yesterday, I promised them New York State would do everything possible to find the perpetrator who threatened a mass shooting and antisemitic violence on campus,” Hochul wrote in the Tuesday statement. “Public safety is my top priority and I’m committed to combatting hate and bias wherever it rears its ugly head.”

The Cornell Daily Sun reported that Dai admitted to making the posts in a recorded interview with the Cornell Police Department and the FBI.

“We remain shocked by and condemn these horrific, antisemitic threats and believe they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Joel Malina, Cornell’s vice president for university relations, in a statement Tuesday night.

If Dai is found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is currently being held in the Broome County Jail and waived his right to a timely detention hearing, CNN reported.

Dai was returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the hearing for being both a flight risk and a “risk of danger,” according to CNN. He is set to return to court for a probable cause hearing on Nov. 15.

Published on November 1, 2023 at 6:07 pm

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu