In the early morning of Thursday, August 8, police received a call regarding people vandalizing a home in Brooklyn belonging to Cas Holloway, Columbia’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).

On August 8, the NYPD received a call just after 5 am, reporting noise outside of a Brooklyn residential building at around 3 am. Upon arrival, police officers found the front lobby window shattered and red paint splattered in front. Red inverted triangles were also painted on the building, which, according to Jewish advocates, terrorists use as symbols representing planned targets. Inverted triangles have allegedly been used by Hamas to identify Israeli targets and Nazis to mark Holocaust prisoners, according to CBS News. It is unclear what the perpetrators’ specific intentions were in using these symbols in Thursday’s vandalism. According to the police, live insects were also found released into the building’s lobby.

As of now, no arrests have been made, and an investigation is ongoing. Building security footage showed four individuals smashing the building’s glass door, releasing the insects, and painting the red triangles. Since the vandalization, other building residents have been asked to use the laundry room entrance.

In front of the building, police found flyers criticizing Holloway’s handling of the Columbia student protests in spring 2024. One letter addressed to Holloway stated, “You signed off on the brutalization of Columbia students because they stood against the genocide of Palestinians. Even when the crickets are gone from your apartment, the memory will remain.” It also said, “Do not expel those students. Divest from Israel, divest from genocide, it’s all we seek of you.” In April and May, University Administration and President Shafik’s choice to have the NYPD arrest more than 100 pro-Palestinian student protestors received widespread condemnation from student groups, alumni, faculty members, and others across the country.

A statement from Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang condemned the vandalization, saying, “Let us be clear: Acts like these are an affront to our values. We condemn them unequivocally. Anyone engaging in this kind of behavior will be reported to law enforcement and face the appropriate discipline. We regret that Cas and his neighbors had to endure this vile attack. Every member of our community deserves to feel safe and supported.”

This is a developing story.

Columbia campus via Bwog Archives