BREAKING: Driver rams automobile into Chabad HQ in Brooklyn, suspect arrested
A suspect has been taken into custody after a vehicle rammed into the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, one of the most prominent and historically significant synagogues in the world.
According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the incident occurred at approximately 8:46 pm. Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a vehicle collision at the location.
“Upon arrival, officers observed a gray Honda sedan which collided into the entrance doors at the bottom of a sloped driveway in front of 770 Eastern Parkway,” NYPD told the Jewish News Syndicate in a statement. “The operator of the vehicle was taken into custody, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Video footage circulating online appears to show the vehicle repeatedly reversing and driving forward into the entrance doors of the building, raising concerns about the possibility of intentional damage.
Yaacov Behrman, public relations at Chabad, posted on X, “Witnesses report the driver yelled for people to move as he drove in. It appears intentional.”
At this time, NYPD officials say the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force has not yet responded to the scene, and investigators have not confirmed whether the incident is being treated as a hate crime yet. Authorities emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages.
According to CrownHeights.info, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch is on the scene. The building has reportedly been evacuated as a precaution.
No injuries have been reported, and it is unclear whether the building sustained significant structural damage.
New York City Mayor Mamdani posted to X, “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. This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world. 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. 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.”
Avraham Berkowitz, a senior advisor to Chabad, posted on X, “Police protection has been significantly downgraded at the busiest Synagogue in Brooklyn since @NYCMayor @ZohranKMamdani became Mayor.”
In a follow-up post, he specifically called out Mamdani, writing, “Many Israelis who served in the IDF pray at 770. You have publicly referred to them as “baby killers” and stated on The View that they kill a Palestinian baby every hour, every day, for the past two years. Such rhetoric has real world consequences. It fuels hostility and has heightened the threat against synagogues like 770 in New York City. I pray everyday at 770, my children, my community, guests from around the world. Don’t come after an incident to cry, we demand major action and protection.”
This is a developing story.