A driver was apprehended on Wednesday night following an incident where the individual allegedly drove a vehicle multiple times into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York City. This act resulted in damage to some of the building’s doors, according to police reports.
Fortunately, both the NYPD and Chabad Lubavitch spokesperson Motti Seligson confirmed that no injuries were reported in the incident.
The NYPD bomb squad conducted a thorough inspection of the vehicle and found no explosives. The driver reportedly told bystanders that “it slipped,” and made a comment to police officers about attempting to park.
Authorities reiterated that no injuries occurred as a result of the crash.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the incident is being treated as a potential hate crime, prompting further investigation.
Additionally, the U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the event.
“I have instructed our criminal prosecutors in @CivilRights to open a civil rights investigation into this violent attack,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said on X.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the incident was “deeply alarming” and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the crash was being investigated as a hate crime. (Getty Images)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the incident was “deeply alarming” and that “antisemitism has no place in our city.”
“I am at 770 Chabad World Headquarters in Crown Heights, where a man intentionally, and repeatedly, crashed his car into the building. I am relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident,” the mayor wrote on X.
The U.S. Justice Department also announced it opened a civil rights investigation into the incident. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world,” he continued. “Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”
Mamdani added: “I stand in solidarity with the Crown Heights Jewish community, and I am grateful to our first responders for taking swift action. I will keep New Yorkers updated as we learn more about the incident.”
