An 8-year-old student was assaulted outside his Jewish day school in Queens — but school officials and the NYPD said it was not believed to be a hate crime.
The child, a student at The Jewish Institute of Queens on Woodhaven Boulevard, suffered a head laceration in the front yard of the Rego Park school after being shoved into a wall by a hammer-wielding man chasing a woman Tuesday morning, according to local officials.
Council Member Phil Wong said police told him the school did not appear to have been the intended target.
“An emotionally disturbed individual allegedly chased a college-aged woman with a hammer from the 110 Precinct into the 112 Precinct, where she ran into the front yard of the institute seeking refuge,” Wong said.
A school official told NBC New York the incident was scary but expressed gratitude for their security guard who “heroically” stopped the man from entering the building.
The NYPD said a 42-year-old man was taken into custody.
The injured student was taken to the hospital for treatment and was in stable condition, according to the NYPD.