
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is investigating an incident at St. John’s University where two men drew swastikas in the snow. The incident occurred on Jan. 24 at approximately 5:15 p.m., according to the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI).
Following the act, “The individuals then fled on foot in an unknown direction. There were no reported injuries. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating,” the NYPD told the Torch in an email.
One suspect was described by the NYPD as last seen wearing a black bubble jacket, black hoodie, sweatpants and sneakers. The second suspect was described as last seen wearing a black jacket, jeans and white and black sneakers.

This is not the first recent hate-related incident on campus in the last year.
On July 6, 2024, a Public Safety officer found a swastika “etched into the concrete” of the parking garage located near Gate 6. On Oct. 15, a swastika was found drawn on a piece of lab equipment. The NYPD was notified in both cases.
The University condemned the most recent incident in a statement to the Torch.
“The NYPD is investigating this incident as a hate crime. St. John’s condemns antisemitism and continues to engage with members of the campus community on our ongoing efforts to prevent and address all forms of discrimination,” University spokesperson Brian Browne.
The NYPD asks anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit a tip through their website.
To report any non-emergency situations, members of the University community can report a bias complaint on the St. John’s website.