New details are coming out about the driver who could be seen on video ramming his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters in Brooklyn, then reverse and do it again, in what is being investigated as a hate crime. The Wednesday night crash at the building on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights drew a massive police and emergency response. No injuries were reported and the driver was taken into custody at the scene. His 2012 Honda Accord sedan was left mounted on the sidewalk. The NYPD’s bomb squad found nothing incendiary during a full sweep of the man’s vehicle. The man behind the wheel appeared to have yelled for people to get out of the way before he began driving into the entrance, two sources told NBC New York, which may help explain why no one was hurt. Sources also said the driver has a history of mental health issues. While the incident has sparked a hate crime investigation, sources said it was unclear if hate crime charges would be filed given the man’s apparent mental troubles. No charges had been filed as of Thursday morning. The 36-year-old driver is from New Jersey, according to police, where sources said he previously tried to convert to Judaism. He had visited the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters on multiple occasions, possibly to discuss conversion, two sources told NBC New York. Among his international trips taken in recent years, the driver traveled to Israel on Dec. 28 and stayed for more than two weeks, according to sources. Out of an abundance of caution, police have escalated security around houses of worship across the five boroughs. “This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X after going to the scene. ” Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city.” The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey also released a statement, saying it was “deeply disturbed” by reports of the incident. ADL also thanked law enforcement for their response. “This building is not only a synagogue, but also the worldwide Chabad.org Headquarters and a beloved symbol of Judaism around the world,” the group said. The FBI responded to the scene. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less