Former Cornell University student Patrick Dai, 22, was sentenced to 21 months in prison today for threatening to kill Jewish students. According to NPR, Dai pleaded guilty to one felony count of "posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications," in the weeks following Hamas' attack on civilians in Israel.
From NPR:
Dai wrote multiple posts from several anonymous usernames, including "gonna shoot up 104 west" (referring to a dining hall next to the Cornell Jewish Center) and "gonna bomb jewish house." He urged others, "if you see a jewish 'person' on campus follow them home and slit their throat." He also threatened to stab Jewish men, sexually assault any Jewish women he saw and "bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews."
His attorney, public defender Lisa Peebles, told NPR that Dai had undiagnosed autism when he made the threats, and "functions socially at the age of between a five- and 10-year-old." She said "Patrick's flawed logic is a result of his autism. His intentions were the exact opposite of the public's perception. Patrick is not antisemitic and is not violent."
Previously:
• International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas boss Yahya Sinwar
• Hamas terrorists used synthetic amphetamine to 'suppress fear and anxiety' during attack, says IDF and US
• NYT: Israel knew details of Hamas's attack plan but did nothing to stop it
• 104 killed after Israel forces open fire on crowd waiting for food aid; Gaza death toll reaches 30,000
• Gaza war death toll reaches 10,000
• Senator Tom Cotton accuses AP of being in cahoots with Hamas after office bombing
