Iwan Baan/Provided
The Ismaili Center, Houston opened its doors on Nov. 6, 2025.
A Houston man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly saying he wanted to “kill all the Muslims and Jews” while at the city’s new Ismaili Center last month.
Jacolby Poindexter, 29, has been charged with one count of making a terroristic threat. According to court documents, Poindexter was arrested on May 16 and has since been released from jail on a $30,000 bond.
According to court documents, Poindexter allegedly drove on the Ismaili Center property on April 11 and began speaking with a security guard. Poindexter allegedly told the guard, “This is our hood, and you guys are taking over,” and that he would return to “kill all the Muslims and Jews.”
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The first Ismaili Center in the United States — and one of seven across the world — opened to the public in December. Ismailis are a branch of Shia Muslims who advocate for pluralism, social progress and service to societies.
Ismailis are led by His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, who at an opening ceremony in November said the center is “not here for Ismailis only. It is for all Houstonians to use; a place open to all who seek knowledge, reflection, and dialogue.”
Following the alleged incident in April, the center “heightened security measures on the property out of concern for potential future violence,” according to court documents.
Representatives of the Ismaili Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Later in April, an 18-year-old North Carolina woman and a Harris County juvenile were arrested for allegedly plotting to “kill as many Jews as possible” by driving through the Congregation Beth Israel in Houston.
On Monday in San Diego, California, two teenagers allegedly opened fire at a mosque, killing three men before later killing themselves in an attack police are investigating as a hate crime.
A defense attorney for Poindexter, accused of making a terroristic threat against the Ismaili Center in Houston, was not listed in online court records as of Tuesday.
Police investigators said they were able to identify Poindexter’s car in security video of the alleged incident in April, according to court documents.