Man enters New York Jewish school with hammer, injures child, NYPD investigates antisemitic motive

On Tuesday morning, a 42-year-old man armed with a hammer entered a Jewish school in New York, injuring an 8-year-old child. The suspect followed a woman into the Jewish Institute of Queens after she felt threatened by him. School security staff prevented him from entering the building, but during a struggle to remove him, he shoved a child into a fence, causing a head injury. The child was hospitalized but is expected to recover fully. Police arrested the man and recovered the hammer, though it was not used to strike anyone. The NYPD does not believe the school or child were targeted and is not treating the incident as antisemitic, though City Councilmember Phil Wong stated, "The NYPD is thoroughly investigating all aspects of the incident, including the possibility of a bias motive, to ensure nothing is overlooked." New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James condemned the violence.