Harvard Law prof who fired pellet gun near synagogue, said he was ‘hunting rats’ agrees to leave US: DHS
A Brazilian law professor at Harvard who admitted last month to shooting a pellet gun outside a synagogue in the Boston area – telling police he was “hunting rats” – has agreed to depart the United States after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him this week. The 43‑year‑old, Carlos Portugal Gouvea, was charged with illegally using an air rifle on Yom Kippur at Brookline’s Temple Beth Zion. He pleaded guilty on November 13 and, when ICE agents arrived on Wednesday, opted to return to Brazil voluntarily rather than face formal deportation. Gouvea was on a J‑1 visa that the State Department canceled two weeks after the incident. After firing two shots, a brief scuffle with private security ensued, and one pellet broke a car window. Harvard put him on administrative leave and, as part of his plea bargain, the jury‑ordered charges of disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and vandalism were dropped. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin declared that violent anti‑Semitic acts have no place in the country, calling them an affront to American values. The episode unfolded amid a broader dispute over federal funding and alleged discrimination against Jewish students following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
