Harvard Professor Accused Of Firing Gun Near Synagogue

A visiting Harvard Law School professor, Carlos Portugal Gouvea, 43, has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly firing a pellet rifle near Temple Beth Zion on the eve of Yom Kippur — an incident that drew a swift police response and rattled congregants gathered for the start of Judaism’s holiest day.

According to Brookline police, Gouvea fired two rounds from a pellet gun along Beacon Street on Wednesday evening, later telling officers he had been “hunting rats.” Investigators say there is no indication the synagogue was deliberately targeted, though the proximity of the shooting — and the timing — magnified community concern. Gouvea faces charges including illegal discharge of a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and malicious destruction of property, according to court records.

Two private security guards outside the synagogue reported hearing “two loud shots” before spotting Gouvea holding a pellet rifle. When approached, he reportedly set the weapon down, leading to what police described as a “brief physical struggle” before he broke free and fled to a nearby residence. Officers later arrested him and discovered a shattered car window with a pellet lodged inside, according to the police report.

Gouvea — who earned his doctorate from Harvard Law in 2008 and also teaches at the University of São Paulo — was arraigned Thursday in Brookline District Court, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. He is due back in court in early November. Neither Gouvea nor his attorney has commented publicly.

Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal confirmed to The New York Post that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.” The university has not announced further disciplinary action.

Beyond Harvard, Gouvea directs a Brazilian think tank focused on social and environmental justice. His arrest comes as universities nationwide face growing scrutiny over campus antisemitism — and as Harvard itself remains locked in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over claims it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment. The school, with an endowment of over $50 billion, went as far as threatening to kill animals held in its science lab unless Trump relented in forcing the university of follow civil rights laws.

The timing of the Brookline incident coincided with a separate attack outside a Manchester, England, synagogue, where a man drove into pedestrians and stabbed victims before being shot by police. Authorities there are investigating the assault as a possible act of terrorism.

[Read More: Surprise State Doing 250th Blowout Bash]Harvard Professor Accused Of Firing Gun Near Synagogue