A driver was taken into custody after crashing his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York City as people gathered for prayer on January 28, authorities said.
Officers responded to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn at around 8:46 p.m., New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a brief press conference.
Officers had "heard a commotion" at the main entrance of the building, she added, the Telegraph reports.
"When they responded, they observed a vehicle that hit the back door, reversed and hit the back door again. Officers immediately ordered the driver out of the car and arrested him," Tisch said.
The NYPD's bomb squad conducted a search of the vehicle and found no explosive devices, according to the police commissioner.
No injuries were reported and the incident is currently being investigated as a possible hate crime by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.
The driver has not been publicly identified. Tisch noted that information about the incident is preliminary and the investigation remains ongoing.
As a precaution, Tisch said the NYPD has "significantly increased security" around places of worship in all five boroughs.
"Earlier tonight, a car crashed into a side entrance to Chabad headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway, the building includes one of the most important synagogues in the world," Chabad Lubavitch spokesman Motti Seligson said on social media, adding that the driver was arrested "almost immediately."
During the press conference, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was "relieved that no one was injured in this horrific incident."
"This is deeply alarming, especially given the institution's deep meaning and history to so many people in New York and around the world," Mamdani added.
"Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Anti-Semitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable," the New York mayor added.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously served on the City Council and represented parts of the Crown Heights neighborhood, said the community was "blessed that no one was hurt."
"I know this community very intimately and deeply. They are part of my family. This was a celebration - a Chabad celebration - and there were thousands of individuals who came to 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters, from all over the world," James said.
Hate crimes against Jewish communities have increased in recent years in the United States. Advocates have noted a rise in hate incidents against Jews and Muslims since the start of Israel's war in Gaza following a Hamas attack in October 2023. /Telegraph/
