A vehicle intentionally crashed into the front entrance of a Chabad-Lubavitch center in Brooklyn late on January 28, 2026, injuring at least four people — two seriously — who were inside or near the building at the time. Emergency responders rushed to the scene after 10 p.m., treating victims for blunt force trauma and lacerations while firefighters secured the damaged structure. The driver was taken into custody at the scene and is being questioned by NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force and federal authorities, who have opened a full terrorism and hate-crime investigation.Witnesses reported the vehicle accelerating directly toward the building with no attempt to brake, striking the glass doors and part of the facade.
The Chabad center, which serves as a synagogue, community hub, and outreach facility, was hosting evening programming at the time. Security camera footage is being reviewed, and preliminary information indicates the attack was not random. The injured include at least one rabbi and several congregants; all are expected to survive but several remain hospitalized.The incident comes amid a nationwide surge in antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, with New York City recording the highest number of such events in the country. Jewish community leaders have called for increased security funding and stronger federal action. President Trump was briefed overnight and is expected to address the incident publicly, with administration officials already describing it as “pure evil” and vowing full federal support for the investigation.
