Please Be Aware

Yesterday, on October 15, 2026, a second instance of antisemitic graffiti was found on Pitt’s campus this week, prompting University officials to issue a Crime Alert. Read the alert at www.safety.pitt.edu/alerts.

A person is in custody after leaving a written bomb threat inside of Mars High School earlier this week.  The threat contained images of swastikas as well as references to “764”, a nihilist extremist online group that promotes violence and gore. Read Mars Area High School bomb threat included swastikas (jewishchronicle.com)

On October 8, 2026, at approximately 9:21 a.m., a robbery occurred at a business in the 1700 block of Murray Avenue. A 38-year-old male entered the Steel Town Tavern restaurant, approached the owner in a threatening manner, took approximately $250 in cash from the counter and fled. The store owner followed the suspect outside, where a brief struggle ensued but he managed to detain the suspect until Pittsburgh Police officers arrived. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with robbery, simple assault and other related offenses. Read Man, 70, stops suspect in robbery, assault at Squirrel Hill business (wpxi.com)

Law enforcement in Chicago thwarted a potential mass shooting on October 11, 2026. Alexandros Paporakis, age 19, of Palatine, IL, was charged by the FBI with making a terrorist threat and the unlawful possession of weapons. He was arrested while leaving his home on Sunday afternoon, potentially in route to carry out an attack against the Hindu community. He had allegedly told his co-workers that Sunday was going to be “a special day.” Paporakis was targeting Hindus, Jews and Blacks in his manifesto. Read Teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Chicago-area Hindu temple (apnews.com).

So far in 2026 we have logged 243 incidents in our Virtual Command Center which is in comparison to 268 at this time last year. Please continue to report any suspicious incidents via the Incident Report Form.

Security Matters in the News This Week

• Preparing for the worst lets you ‘go on and live your life,’ Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting survivor says (jns.org)
• 3 minors charged after allegedly spray-painting racist, antisemitic graffiti at Pennsylvania playground (cbsnews.com)
• Haverford professor accused of cyberstalking a colleague ordered held for trial (inquirer.com)