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Thursday, July 04, 2024  
27 Dhul-Hijjah 1445  

Pakistani taxi driver allegedly tries to attack Jewish students in Brooklyn

The suspect is 58-year-old Asghar Ali, a Pakistani immigrant and livery cab driver

On Wednesday, a man allegedly tried to run over Orthodox Jewish students and a rabbi outside a Jewish school in Brooklyn, while shouting “I’m gonna kill all the Jews” in an apparent antisemitic attack, according to sources.

Surveillance footage shows the driver revving his engine and mounting the curb as he swerved towards Orthodox Jews near the Mesivta Nachlas Yakov School in Canarsie around 11:25 a.m.

Police identified the alleged attacker as 58-year-old Asghar Ali, a Pakistani immigrant and livery cab driver with a history of mental illness. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident, the New York Post reported.

Ali faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, attempted assault, and hate crimes. Authorities do not believe the attack was terror-related and have no evidence linking him to radical groups.

The driver allegedly first tried to hit a student on the corner, then drove around the block and targeted more students and a rabbi standing outside the school. No one was injured in the attack.

Members of the local Shomrim Safety Patrol were able to track down Ali and alert police after he stopped at a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. He was taken into custody and transferred to a hospital for evaluation.

The incident has caused concern in the Jewish community, with one Shomrim coordinator stating they were glad to apprehend the individual “especially with this antisemitic, anti-Jewish climate that’s out there.”

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United States

Anti Semitism

Pakistani expatriates