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A suspect was taken into custody Tuesday night after a vehicle rammed into the entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, one of the most prominent and historically significant synagogues in the world, police said.
The New York City Police Department said the incident occurred around 8:46 p.m. at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood.
“Upon arrival, officers observed a gray Honda sedan which collided into the entrance doors at the bottom of a sloped driveway in front of 770 Eastern Parkway,” the department said in a statement to Jewish News Syndicate. “The operator of the vehicle was taken into custody, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Video circulating on social media appeared to show the vehicle repeatedly reversing and then driving forward into the entrance, prompting concern that the crash may have been intentional.
Yaacov Behrman, a public relations representative for Chabad, wrote on X that witnesses reported the driver shouted for people to move as he drove toward the building, adding, “It appears intentional.”
Police said no injuries were reported. The building was evacuated as a precaution, and it was not immediately clear whether it sustained significant structural damage.
Authorities said the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force had not yet responded to the scene, and investigators have not determined whether the incident will be classified as a hate crime. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch was reported to be at the location.
Avraham Berkowitz, a senior adviser to Chabad, said police protection at the synagogue had been reduced in recent months and urged city leaders to increase security at the site.
The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey released a statement on social media.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports of an incident that occurred tonight in Brooklyn. Just minutes ago, a car repeatedly rammed into 770 Eastern Parkway,” the organization said. “This building is not only a synagogue, but also the worldwide @ChabadHeadquarters and a beloved symbol of Judaism around the world.”
