Florida Student Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Jewish Students

From WFLA (Kaycee Sloan) Monday:

According to documents, Palestinian-American student Seif Asi, 21, approached a table of Jewish students and got into a one to two-minute "heated conversation" during a UCF Office of Student Involvement approved pro-Israel free expression event on Jan. 23….

When UCFPD stopped Asi, he told them that he was Palestinian and had family in Palestine, adding that he was tired of seeing Jewish supporters on campus and complained about a pro-Israel match that occurred last week.

The arrest report shows that Asi told police he saw the same group of students at the march, and it made him upset when he saw them setting up their table on Tuesday. He also told police that he's "tired of seeing students on campus defend the killing of Palestinian people."

The 21-year-old said he was on his way back from working out when his "emotions got the better of him." … The three victims, who are part of a group called "Students Supporting Israel" or SSI, provided sworn verbal and written statements consistent with each other. The students said Asi accused them of supporting the death of his family members back home. Then, all three students allegedly heard Asi say, "You won't be here anymore when I come back and shoot you."

Asi was charged with three counts of intimidation based on display of indicia of religious or ethnic heritage, under Fla. Stat. § 784.0493, which reads:

784.0493 Harassment or intimidation based on religious or ethnic heritage.—

(1) As used in this section, the terms "credible threat" and "harass" have the same meaning as in s. 784.048(1).
(2) A person may not willfully and maliciously harass or intimidate another person based on the person's wearing or displaying of any indicia relating to any religious or ethnic heritage.
(3) A person who violates subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(4) A person who violates subsection (2), and in the course of committing the violation makes a credible threat to the person who is the subject of the harassment or intimidation, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(5) A violation of this section is considered a hate crime for purposes of the reporting requirements of s. 877.19.