Minnesota Hillel’s windows were broken by pellets shot from a BB gun, University of Minnesota Interim President Jeff Ettinger said Tuesday at a Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Sen. Ron Latz (DFL), called the hearing for discussion and testimony on a wide array of University of Minnesota-related topics that have arisen since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
UMN President Jeff Ettinger speaks to a Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on June 25, 2024 (Lonny Goldsmith/TC Jewfolk).
The incident at Hillel occurred in the early hours of June 7. The outer panes of three glass windows and one of the glass doors were broken. Ettinger said that officers determined there was no immediate or ongoing threat to the public since no one was in the building at the time.
“MPD did find four brass BB pellets confirming the incident,” Ettinger said. “A thorough investigation ensued, but the investigation did not reveal the perpetrator.
“The university unequivocally condemns vandalism, particularly discriminatory vandalism and defacements. We try to take prompt steps to ensure their removal and take appropriate action against those responsible for the vandalism when their identity is known.”
The University Police report stated that four of the BBs were seen at the site. The report also stated that video footage from the area said that the damage was done by someone in a black Audi 4-series without front or rear license plates. The car was driven from I-35W to Hillel, where shots were fired, and back to the interstate — running two red lights in the process.
According to a media report after the incident occurred, there was no SAFE-U alert to report the incident. SAFE-U, the university’s safety notification system, will send out alerts when “police confirm that a significant emergency or dangerous situation that poses an immediate threat to campus has occurred and the campus community should take immediate action to preserve safety,” according to the school.
Minnesota HIllel Executive Director Benjie Kaplan at a Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on June 25, 2024 (Lonny Goldsmith/TC Jewfolk).
Minnesota Hillel Executive Director Benjie Kaplan in his last week with the organization, testified that the organization spent “tens of thousands of dollars to harden our facility and ensure students and their families that we were a safe and secure space.”
“We know now that this was a wise decision because…a car drove by our building, firing four shots from the back seat. These shots were not fired at an Israeli building; they were fired at a Jewish one.”
Kaplan said that the university has to do something to change the climate at the school.
“Unless the University does something to proactively change the toxicity, Jewish students and staff will be left wondering if, next time, it won’t be just windows that get shot,” he said. “This violates our right to be full and equal members of the U community. It violates our collective morality, and it violates the law.”
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