A 20-year-old Yeshiva University student was recovering in stable condition Thursday night after being assaulted by a group of four masked suspects at a Washington Heights subway station, an incident that has drawn conflicting characterizations from law enforcement and university officials.

Police tell Belaaz that the attack occurred around 7:00 p.m. inside the 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue station.

According to police, the victim was approached by four individuals. A brief conversation took place between the student and the group, though the nature of the exchange remains unclear. The interaction quickly turned violent, with the suspects punching and kicking the victim.

The suspects fled the scene immediately following the attack. No arrests have been made and the incident is under investigation, but at this time, police are not treating the case as a hate crime.

In an emergency alert sent to the student body, Yeshiva University described the incident as an “unbiased attempted robbery.” However, the NYPD stated late Thursday that they are not treating the incident as an attempted robbery at this time, classifying it instead as an assault.

The victim sustained minor injuries and was transported to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition.

Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, a clinical assistant professor at YU, took to social media to express the community’s alarm, describing  noting the vulnerability of the location.

“The student was violently assaulted tonight… in the blind spot of the subway station where there are no police or security cameras,” Bashevkin stated. “This is beyond frightening for a visibly Jewish community in New York City.”