A 29-year-old Houston man was arrested Monday after allegedly making violent threats on the grounds of the Ismaili Center along Allen Parkway, court papers show. Witnesses told police he refused to leave when volunteers asked and shouted that he would "kill all the Muslims and Jews." The encounter prompted a police response and led the center to increase security while authorities sorted out what had happened.
According to court records, police arrested Jacolby Poindexter on a terroristic-threat warrant. He was later charged with making a terroristic threat and posted $30,000 bond, records show. The arrest and charges were detailed by Click2Houston. Authorities say the case stemmed from statements made on the Ismaili Center property and observations by volunteers and other witnesses.
A witness told investigators she heard Poindexter making comments about Muhammad and Islam and photographed his vehicle as he left, court documents say. Police later linked that vehicle to him, according to the records. Poindexter admitted being on the property and told officers he was upset "because he had been through some things when it comes to Islamic people," but he denied making death threats, the records state. "The center is a welcoming place that fosters peace and harmony," an Ismaili Center spokesperson told Click2Houston, and officials say security was increased after the encounter.
Where It Happened And Why It Matters
The Ismaili Center, at 2323 Allen Parkway, is the first Ismaili Center in the United States and opened in late 2025 as a 150,000-square-foot cultural campus with gardens and public programming. The facility was intended as a civic and cultural space to host exhibitions, lectures and community events, as described in local coverage by Houston Welcomes First U.S. Ismaili Center. The center's public profile helps explain why a threat there drew immediate attention from volunteers and law enforcement.
Legal Context
Under Texas law, making a terroristic threat can be charged at levels from misdemeanors up to third-degree felonies, depending on the target and the accused's intent. Threats that place a substantial group of the public in fear or that aim to interrupt public services can be charged as a third-degree felony, which carries a punishment of two to 10 years in prison under Texas Penal Code §22.07, as detailed in the statute. Prosecutors will decide how to proceed as the case moves through county court.
Poindexter's arrest and the center's tightened security highlight the strain community groups feel when public spaces designed for outreach are targeted. Authorities say the investigation remains active, and anyone with information is urged to contact local police. Court records will list future hearing dates as the case advances.
