FBI Arrests Graduate Student for Hate Threats Targeting Jews, Muslims, Chinese, and Mexicans at San Jose State

The FBI and San Jose State University police arrested Ziheng "Tony" Fang, a 30-year-old data science graduate student, for disseminating over 20 hate messages, graffiti, and threats across the campus since October 2024. The threats, primarily found in men's restrooms, included calls to "kill all Jews, Muslims, Chinese, and Mexicans" using slurs, swastika drawings, and explicit warnings of bombings, shootings, and stabbings with specific dates.

Investigators linked Fang to the threats through forensic evidence, including a fingerprint found on a printed threat paper he posted. University entry logs showed Fang used his student card to access buildings near the threat locations in 16 of 18 incidents, and security cameras recorded him entering and leaving restrooms shortly before the threats were discovered.

The repeated threats caused widespread fear on campus, prompting emergency alerts to students and staff. Some professors moved classes online, and on days when attacks were threatened, the campus was described as a "ghost town" due to student absences. Despite being of Chinese descent, Fang targeted his own ethnic group alongside Jews, Muslims, and Mexicans with violent language.

The university police quickly recognized the severity of the threats and involved the FBI. Fang’s arrest followed a critical mistake when he posted a printed threat instead of graffiti, allowing forensic experts to retrieve his fingerprint. He was brought before a federal court in San Jose and is held without bail due to the severity of the threats, risk of flight, and danger to the public. If convicted, Fang faces a lengthy federal prison sentence followed by deportation from the United States.