A year after the violent confrontation at DePaul University that left two Jewish students injured, one of the assailants has entered a guilty plea. Adam Erkan, aged 20, was admitted to a misdemeanor battery charge for his role in the November 2024 attack on Max Long and Michael Kaminsky. As reported by FOX 32, Erkan was sentenced to two years of probation and is required to complete 100 hours of community service.
Despite originally facing seven felonies, including four hate crime charges, Erkan's plea agreement allowed for lesser charges and no jail time. The assault, which involved antisemitic slurs and physical violence, left Long, an Israel Defense Forces reservist, with a brain injury and unconscious, while Kaminsky sustained a fractured wrist that needed surgical intervention. According to ABC7 Chicago, the second suspect in the attack has not been apprehended, and the students have voiced frustration over the lack of updates in the pursuit of the assailant still at large.
Erkan's identification followed when his father recognized him in surveillance video shown by the authorities. Footage of the incident showed the attackers, wearing masks, approaching and subsequently assaulting Long and Kaminsky before fleeing. The attackers were seen escaping the scene in a 2011 Silver Toyota RAV-4, with Erkan being apprehended shortly thereafter near his residence.
After the court proceedings, Long has decided to take a leave of absence from DePaul, citing ongoing threats made against him, including an incident reported in court. "While waiting for them to call his docket, I get threatened by a friend of his, who, you know, telling me, I'm going to get what's coming," Long told ABC7 Chicago. This ongoing intimidation raises concerns about the safety and security environment on DePaul's campus, where the private security presence was noted to be visibly absent earlier in the month.
In the wake of Erkan's guilty plea, Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project, expressed that only partial justice has been served. "One attacker has now admitted guilt for brutally assaulting two Jewish students at DePaul University. That is a step toward justice, but it is nowhere near enough," Filitti stated, emphasizing the urgency of apprehending the second attacker. He underscored the need for the Chicago Police Department to act swiftly to bring the other assailant to justice, securing safety for the victims and the broader community impacted by this hate crime.
