A suspect in the months-long antisemitic and threatening graffiti spree at San Jose State University was arrested on Wednesday, the administration and SJSU Police Department (SJSUPD) announced last week.
Since fall 2025, threatening messages and racist graffiti targeting Jewish, Muslim, black, and Asian students have appeared across the campus, which SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said in a statement had caused “real harm” to the student body.
“The acts have targeted individuals and communities we proudly welcome to SJSU, and I hope you all join me in condemning hate and violence while standing in solidarity with our community,” Teniente-Matson said on Thursday.
The string of incidents began in October, as racist and discriminatory messages were found in student housing and on residents’ bulletin boards. The following month, according to a dedicated official university webpage created to track the incidents, antisemitic, anti-Asian, and anti-Muslim graffiti and threats of violence were found in the bathroom of MacQuarrie Hall. This led to the opening of an investigation and an increase in foot patrols.
Senator Bill Cassidy said in a March 20 statement that the fall incident included drawings of swastikas and threats of mass shootings.
On March 4, threats were scrawled into the same hall’s bathroom. According to correspondence between the California State University Chancellor’s Office and Cassidy, these threats included a terrorist attack on March 11.
“SJSU, Sorry, But for Allah 3/11 Will Be 9/11,” was graffitied alongside “Kill All Jews,” according to Cassidy. Other messages seemed to promise the “goal” of “five Jews min[imum]” and to “make [Al Qaeda leader] Osama [Bin Laden] proud.”
University increases efforts to end threatening graffiti
In response, the university’s police bolstered their manpower and began to work with other law enforcement agencies.
Similar threats were made again on March 24, with graffiti threatening violence against Jews in bathroom stalls, according to the SJSUPD. Further threatening graffiti was discovered in the bathrooms again on April 3 and April 8.
Two more messages were left on April 28, at the Student Union and the Art Building, threatening an attack on May 4.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday after investigations by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. In addition to a ban from campus, the suspect faces multiple counts, including felony vandalism, felony publishing threats, and potential hate crime enhancements.