Cornell University student Patrick Dai was arrested after he allegedly made a series of antisemitic posts online, threatening to kill or injure Jews.
Months ago, Adidas as well as other big companies that partnered and sponsored Yeezy cut ties with the rapper and his company over his offensive and antisemitic remarks.
He had made virulently antisemitic remarks about the Jews. This led to his fortune being dropped from billions to half a million.
A 21-year-old Cornell University student who found himself in Ye’s situation was traced by his IP by the FBI and arrested after he threatened to murder and wound Jews.
Patrick Dai confessed to making the online threats on campus and now his parents say he’s innocent and depressed leading to his remarks.
Here’s everything we know about Patrick Dai, a Cornell University student.
Who is Patrick Dai?
Patrick Dai (born between 2001 and 2002) is a 21-year-old student at Cornell University in Ithica, New York.
He is in his junior year, as of the time of this article.
Dai is originally from Pittsford, New York.
On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, Dai was arrested by federal police.
What was Patrick Dai accused of?
Dai was accused of making violent and antisemitic threats against his Jewish classmates.
According to the Northern District of New York’s US Attorney’s Office, he “was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications.”
The complaint alleges that Dai posted multiple threatening remarks through the Cornell section of an online discussion site.
Per the attorney’s office, one post allegedly said: “gonna shoot up 104 west.”
104 West is a Cornell University dining hall that mainly caters to Kosher diets, per information provided to the attorney’s office by Cornell University Police and other public information.
It is located next to the Cornell Jewish Center, which provides living spaces for Cornell students.
The attorney’s office continues that in another online post, Dai allegedly threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish males he sees on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish females, and to behead any Jewish babies.
Per the attorney’s office, in that same post, he allegedly threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.”
If found guilty of the crime, Dai could face a maximum term of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
He is set to make his first federal court appearance before a US Magistrate Judge in Syracuse, New York, on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, according to the attorney’s office.
What have Patrick Dai’s parents said about the accusations?
According to the New York Post, Dai’s parents believe their son is innocent despite the accusations.
In a text message, his father — who asked to not be named — told the publication: “My son is in severe depression. He cannot control his emotion well due to the depression. No, I don’t think he committed the crime.”
Per the outlet, Dai’s parents said he has been deeply depressed since 2021, one year after he began studying engineering at Cornell.
The outlet states that they have “adamantly emphasized” that their son never had a history with violence.
His father said: “He was always very nice to society, well organized, helpful to my family and his classmates before 2021.
“He told us he lost his life goal and motivation … As parents, we tried to give him more love.”
Per the New York Post, as suggested by a doctor, Dai took a break from his studies during the spring of 2022 and 2023 to try to recover but still had a hard time regaining his ambition.
The outlet then states that he stopped communicating with his parents “just days before his arrest.”
His father continued: “My wife called him or sent messages to him many times but got no answers. She was worrying that he may commit suicide and drove to his apartment to see what happened.”
Dai had been arrested by the time his mother arrived.
The publication continues: “Although they don’t believe their son is responsible for the antisemitic posts, Dai’s parents theorize his depression is somehow linked to the case.”
After being asked what the connection would be, his father responded: “Please contact his doctor for this question. It is too complicated for me.”