A visiting Harvard Law professor from Brazil who allegedly fired a pellet gun near a Jewish temple in Brookline last week “categorically denies” any antisemitic intent in connection with the incident, his lawyer said Monday.
Carlos P. Gouvêa, 46, “categorically denies that his actions were motivated by antisemitism or by any intent to cause fear or disruption to the Temple Beth Zion community” in Brookline, his lawyer, Vikas S. Dhar , said in a statement.
What occurred “was a total misunderstanding of an entirely innocent situation,” he added.
Police said the incident took place around 9 p.m on Wednesday near Temple Beth Zion as the synagogue celebrated the beginning of the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur.
Gouvêa told officers he was using the pellet rifle to hunt rats in the a