Harvard Law Professor Fires Pellet Gun Near Boston Synagogue

Harvard Law School has suspended visiting professor Carlos Portugal Gouvea after he allegedly fired a pellet rifle outside a Brookline, Massachusetts synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur — an act that unfolded amid the Trump administration’s growing crackdown on antisemitism at elite universities.

Police say Gouvea, 43, was arrested Wednesday night after firing two rounds near Temple Beth Zion on Beacon Street, claiming he was merely “hunting rats.” The shots, however, caused panic as dozens of Jewish congregants gathered to mark the start of the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

Security guards stationed outside the synagogue reported hearing “two loud pops” and spotting a man with a pellet rifle. When they approached him, a brief scuffle broke out before the suspect — later identified as Gouvea — fled into a nearby home, according to police. Officers arrived moments later, taking him into custody after discovering a shattered car window and a pellet lodged inside the vehicle.

Brookline Police Chief Andrew Lipson told reporters that “given the timing and location, every precaution had to be taken.” Authorities ultimately determined the synagogue was not directly targeted, though the incident has rattled the local Jewish community.

Gouvea was arraigned Thursday on charges of illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and malicious damage to property. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. He is due back in Brookline District Court in November.

Neither Gouvea nor an attorney listed in court records have responded to media inquiries.

Harvard Law spokesperson Jeff Neal confirmed to The 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 news of his suspension.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Harvard. The university is already locked in a legal and political battle with the Trump administration, which has accused the school of tolerating antisemitic incidents on campus and failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students.

President Trump, speaking from the White House on Friday, said: “What’s happening at these Ivy League institutions is disgraceful. We’re not funding hate. Either they fix it, or the money stops.”

The Department of Education, under Trump’s directive, has threatened to withhold billions in federal research grants from universities that “turn a blind eye to religious harassment.” Harvard filed a lawsuit challenging the move, arguing that the funding freeze is “politically motivated,” though insiders say negotiations for a settlement are underway.

Gouvea, a Harvard Law alumnus, earned his doctorate from the university in 2008. He also serves as an associate professor at the University of São Paulo Law School and heads a Brazilian think tank focused on “social and environmental justice.”

Critics say that background makes the incident even more troubling. “It’s a symptom of what’s gone wrong in higher education,” said political commentator Mark Levin. “You’ve got foreign academics lecturing American students about justice — then firing pellet guns outside synagogues. It’s madness.”

The arrest comes during an especially tense period for Jewish communities worldwide. Just days earlier, a terror attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, England left two dead and several injured.

Local Jewish leaders say the Brookline incident — though not classified as a hate crime — underscores the sense of vulnerability among worshippers. “We were terrified,” said one congregant, who asked not to be named. “You see someone with a gun near your synagogue the night before Yom Kippur — you don’t wait to find out what kind of gun it is.”

Harvard has not announced any additional disciplinary measures, but sources inside the administration say Gouvea’s teaching contract is “under review.”

Meanwhile, federal officials are reportedly monitoring the case closely as part of a broader inquiry into campus safety and religious protections.

“The days of elite universities operating without accountability are over,” a senior administration official told Fox News. “Under President Trump, there’s zero tolerance for antisemitism — period.”