A suspect has been arrested after allegedly ramming a car into the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish movement in Brooklyn, New York. The incident, which was described as “intentional,” was captured on video and witnessed by horrified community members.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:45 PM on Wednesday at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood. Footage shows a gray Honda sedan with New Jersey license plates backing up and accelerating into a side entrance of the building multiple times. The force of the impacts knocked the wooden doors off their hinges.
Witnesses reported that the driver yelled for people to move as he drove toward the building, and a spokesperson for Chabad stated the act “appears intentional.”
After the ramming, the driver exited the vehicle and was confronted by bystanders. In a video of the incident, he can be heard shouting, “I dunno, it slipped! It slipped, you f**king a**hole!” while gesturing at his car. The onlookers identified him to responding NYPD officers, who swiftly took him into custody.
As a precaution, the synagogue was evacuated. The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit and Bomb Squad were called to the scene to sweep the vehicle for weapons. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the suspect or a possible motive.
The targeted building has served as the spiritual and administrative center for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement since 1940. Community leaders have confirmed that there were no injuries from the attack. Police have set up a perimeter around the headquarters and asked the public to stay away while the investigation continues.