(FILE IMAGE OF CORNELL UNIV.)

ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- A Cornell University student was arrested on federal charges in connection to the recent threats made to Jewish students at Cornell.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse, 21-year-old Patrick Dai was arrested on a federal criminal complaint -- accusing him of posting the threats to kill other students.

Dai, who is from the Rochester suburb of Pittsford, allegedly posted messages that said "gonna shoot up 104 west", and threatened to "bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews." The messages were posted to the Cornell section of an online forum. Federal officials also accuse Dai of making threats to stab and kill Jewish men, rape and kill Jewish women, and behead Jewish babies.

If found guilty, Dai faces a sentence of up to 5-years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Dai is expected to make his first court appearance in federal court in Syracuse on Wednesday.

The threats that Dai allegedly made to the Ivy League school sparked international headlines. The threats to Cornell Univ. come at a time where there's been a spike in hate crimes targeting Jewish and Muslim people across the country. The crimes come after the surprise attack by Hamas militants in Israel, and the subsequent airstrikes and ground invasion of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces.

Gov. Hochul traveled to Cornell University on Monday to address the threats, and to send the message to students that threats will not be tolerated.

After news broke that the suspect behind the online threats was arrested, Joel M. Malina, Vice President for University Relations at Cornell University, released the following statement:

“Cornell University is grateful to the FBI for working so swiftly to identify and apprehend the suspect in this case, a Cornell student, who remains in custody.  We also thank Cornell Police and Chief Anthony Bellamy for extraordinary efforts in supporting the investigation and protecting our campus community. The university will continue to provide assistance to law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as this case moves forward.  

“We remain shocked by and condemn these horrific, antisemitic threats and believe they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We know that our campus community will continue to support one another in the days ahead. Cornell Police will maintain its heightened security presence on campus as the university continues to focus on supporting the needs of our students, faculty and staff.”