Joonho Jun, 21, a student at the University of Florida, was arrested last month for aggravated stalking after he approached a Jew inside a convenience store and began making antisemitic remarks and gestures, the Gainesville Public Information Services reported.
During the incident, Jun made antisemetic remarks and then used his hands to gesture as though he was shooting at the Jewish victim, the Gainesville Public Information Services report said, citing Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Officer Tyler Allen.
Jun “began making several antisemitic remarks and then began to use his hands to simulate a firearm and act like he was shooting the victim, Allen said.
As the victim exited the store, Jun followed, continuing the shooting gestures, the report added.
When questioned by police, the Jewish victim said they had been dealing with antisemitic actions from Jun since he began attending the university.
The State Attorney’s Office released that Jun has no bond pending a pretrial detention motion.
Since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, antisemitism in Florida has been on the rise, and students at various universities have been at the front of antisemitism on campus.
Further antisemetic incidents
Last month, the University of Central Florida’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity was put on suspension for antisemitic hazing.
During the incident, a pledge member was blindfolded and had a foil swastika placed on his lap. The image was leaked to the local press in the fall of 2024. However, the original photo was taken on an unspecified date in 2023.
The University of Southern Florida (USF) has also been a hot spot for antisemitism, with over 20 antisemetic demonstrations or incidents occurring led by USF students or student organizations.
In mid-October 2023, NBC 8 interviewed students, and in a joint statement, they expressed the fear they feel as Jews on campus.
“We are scared. We shouldn’t have to be scared. We had students who had to find somewhere else to sleep last night because they were worried about their dorms, their rooms, and their apartments. They were worried people would find them, hurt them," they said.
USF has also had a history of antisemitic staff before 2023. When a professor, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, had been arrested due to conspiring to aid Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Students for Justice In Palestine (SJP) chapter at UCF is also a heavily active student-led organization that has also been outspoken.
SJP has been active on the college campus and has been fund-raising for Palestinian organizations. They have also been leading pro-Palestinan protests within the area.
During an SJP protest, the students demanded that the university cut all ties to Israel, including with the University of Tel Aviv. They also demanded an immediate ceasefire.
Michael Starr contributed to this report.
