A man identified as Jarrett Buba, 52, faces charges for allegedly assaulting two Jewish students with a glass bottle near the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. Notably, Buba is now under scrutiny for a separate incident involving two individuals associated with Carnegie Mellon University, whom he allegedly targeted with a glass bottle in the Oakland neighborhood a day prior. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the bottle hit a vehicle instead of the intended victims.
In connection to the University of Pittsburgh assault, Buba is charged with felony aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and harassment. Prosecutors claim that Buba sat across the street from the students before running towards them and striking them from behind with the bottle. The victims, who were wearing Jewish yarmulkes, sustained injuries, with one having cuts on the face and the other bleeding from cuts on the neck.
Despite having no known affiliation with the school, Buba was seen wearing a kaffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern checkered scarf. The University of Pittsburgh condemned the incident and engaged with relevant Jewish organizations. The FBI’s Pittsburgh field office also joined the investigation to determine if the assault could be classified as a hate crime.
Subsequently, Carnegie Mellon officers linked Buba to the prior incident through arrest photos and video footage, leading to additional charges like attempted aggravated assault and harassment being filed against him. As of now, no attorney representing Buba has been listed in court documents, and his contact information remains undisclosed.
The assault at the University of Pittsburgh occurred towards the end of the first full week of fall semester classes, following spring protests on the campus concerning the conflict in Gaza. The attack has raised concerns within the community and law enforcement, prompting a thorough investigation into the incidents involving Buba.
