Jewish students at Pitt attacked; suspect arrested

A man wielding a bottle attacked a group of Jewish students at the University of Pittsburgh late Friday near the Cathedral of Learning, officials said.

Two students were injured and the suspect was quickly arrested.

“The alleged perpetrator, who has no known Pitt affiliation, was immediately arrested by Pitt Police and is in custody,” the university said in a statement released by spokesman Jared Stonesifer on Friday night. “Two students were treated at the scene.”

The university called the incident “appalling.”

The identity of the suspect and the charges he faces were not immediately available. The identities of the injured students and the nature of their injuries also were not disclosed.

Officials did not elaborate on a motive, but it comes at a time of heightened tensions on college campuses in this country linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

“To be clear: Neither acts of violence nor antisemitism will be tolerated,” Pitt’s statement read. “Local and federal partners are supporting Pitt Police in this ongoing investigation.”

In the months leading up to summer, colleges and universities across the nation and in Pittsburgh saw pro-Palestinian protests including encampments, as well as counterprotests by supporters of Israel.

Fall classes at Pitt began Monday.

The attack near the Cathedral occurred as much of campus was emptying for Labor Day weekend. Emergency personnel responded to the area of the 42-story classroom tower about 6 p.m. and pieced together what had occurred.

“Upon learning about this incident, Pitt leadership contacted Hillel University Center to offer support to our students and also connected with our partners at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh,” Pitt’s statement read. “We are grateful to our Pitt Police officers for their swift action, and our Student Affairs team for their ongoing student support.”

The statement continued: “While there is not believed to be any ongoing threat to the public stemming from this incident, we recognize that incidents like these are unsettling to our Pitt community. The University Counseling Center is available to any student needing support, and Life Solutions is available to all faculty and staff members. More information regarding the incident and additional resources will be provided as they become available.”

A terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people. Tens of thousands more have since died in the ensuring military campaign by Israel in Gaza.

In April 2023, campus and city police responded to false active shooter reports on campus. While officials successfully cleared multiple buildings including Hillman Library, leaders acknowledged a near 90-minute delay in sending out an emergency notification system messages to campus. It led to a review and series of safety enhancements on the main campus.

The issue resurfaced Friday night as no alert was sent out and some questioned why. Pitt police on their web page explained why.

“Following this incident, understandably some have asked why no Emergency Notification System (ENS) alert was sent,” it stated. “As there was an immediate arrest and no ongoing threat to the public, no ENS message was sent.”