A visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly discharging a pellet rifle outside a Brookline synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur.
Police arrested 43-year-old Carlos Portugal Gouvea on Wednesday night, saying he fired two rounds near Temple Beth Zion on Beacon Street. Gouvea later told officers he was “hunting rats,” according to Brookline.News.
Authorities said there was no evidence the synagogue was the intended target. Nonetheless, Gouvea was charged in Brookline District Court with illegally firing a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and causing malicious property damage, court documents show.
Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal told The New York Post that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.”
The Harvard Crimson first broke the story of Gouvea’s suspension, though the university has not yet announced whether additional disciplinary steps will follow. The Post said it has requested comments from Harvard Law School, Temple Beth Zion, and Gouvea.
According to police, the incident prompted a significant law enforcement response as more than a dozen officers converged on the area, where congregants had assembled for Kol Nidrei services marking the start of Yom Kippur.
Two private security guards stationed outside the synagogue reportedly confronted Gouvea after hearing “two loud shots” and spotting him carrying a pellet rifle.
When they approached, Gouvea allegedly set the gun down before engaging in a “brief physical struggle” as the guards tried to detain him, according to a police account cited by Brookline.News.
Officers said Gouvea then fled to his nearby home but reemerged moments later, at which point he was arrested. Investigators later found a broken car window and a pellet lodged inside the vehicle, according to the police report.
Court records indicate Gouvea was arraigned Thursday, pleaded not guilty to all counts, and was released on personal recognizance. He is scheduled to return to court in early November.
Neither Gouvea nor the attorney listed in his case responded to inquiries from The Crimson or Brookline.News. Police reiterated that there was “no indication the synagogue itself was targeted.”
Gouvea is a Harvard Law School graduate who earned his doctorate in 2008. He also holds a position as an associate professor at the University of São Paulo Law School and directs a Brazilian think tank focused on social and environmental justice.
Brookline police declined to provide further comment on the investigation. Gouvea’s next court appearance is slated for November.
The incident took place during a particularly sensitive period for the Jewish community, as Yom Kippur observances and other high holy day gatherings took place across the world.
Earlier in the week, tragedy struck in the United Kingdom when a man drove into a group of worshippers near a Manchester synagogue before stabbing several victims. Two people were killed and three others seriously injured before police fatally shot the assailant.
Authorities later arrested six individuals on suspicion of terror-related offenses. Investigators believe one victim, Adrian Daulby, was inadvertently killed by police gunfire as congregants barricaded the synagogue to prevent further attacks.
The situation unfolds amid ongoing scrutiny of Harvard’s handling of antisemitism on campus.
The Trump administration has accused the university of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment and has warned that billions of dollars in federal funding could be withheld unless the school implements substantial reforms.
Harvard has since filed a lawsuit disputing the legality of those actions, claiming the funding threats are politically motivated and punitive. Negotiations between the university and the administration are said to be moving toward a potential settlement.
Another well educated criminal
He was indeed hunting rats. Problem is he believes Jews ARE rats.