Hate Crime Investigation Launched Over Hit-and-Run Incident Involving Muslim Stanford Student

White male suspect allegedly accelerated toward Abdulwahab Omira, a Syrian refugee and Stanford student, before using racial slurs and fleeing; incident comes amid a significant rise in hate crimes across US campuses.

A hate-crime investigation has been initiated following a hit-and-run incident involving Abdulwahab Omira, an Arab Muslim student at Stanford University. The driver, described as a white male in his mid-20s, allegedly made eye contact, accelerated toward Omira, struck him, and used hate speech before fleeing the scene.
Abdulwahab Omira, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, called upon communities to collectively denounce hatred, bigotry, and violence. This intention reflects increasing concerns related to hate crimes against Arabs, Jews, and Muslims in the United States.
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is leading the hate-crime investigation in association with the California Highway Patrol, neither of which has announced an arrest or released the suspect's name.
Stanford university leaders, President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez, condemned the incident in strong terms, expressing deep concern for the injured student and others affected by the incident.
Amid rising campus tensions across the US, including recent horrifying events at Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell Universities, the incident further intensifies concerns over safety and protection against hate crimes at American university campuses.