Boy, 13, charged after allegedly planning mass shooting in a synagogue
CANTON, Ohio — A 13-year-old boy from Canton, Ohio, has been charged with planning a mass shooting at a local Jewish synagogue.
The teen, who is not named in court documents because he is a minor, is charged with causing panic and disorderly conduct, both felonies. He is accused of posting a “detailed plan to complete a mass shooting” at Temple Israel in Canton, a city south of Akron, on the livestream platform Discord.
The charges come amid a rise in anti-Semitism in the United States and worldwide. In the US alone, anti-Semitic incidents increased by 35% between 2021 and 2022.
According to documents released Thursday by the Stark County Sherriff's Office, an FBI agent alerted the department to the Discord posts on September 7. The plans were initially posted on September 1 and included maps of the synagogue allegedly drawn by the boy and another. individual in Washington state. They also included plans to burn and 'shoot up' the building.
When confronted by law enforcement, the boy admitted to being part of multiple anti-Semitic and political groups on the platform, the documents show. He was subsequently arrested and a hearing will take place on December 20.
“We adhere to a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats against our community,” Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a statement. “Every threat is thoroughly investigated with the seriousness it deserves.”
An attorney for the boy did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
Temple Israel's rabbi Komerofsky declined to comment on the situation because it involves a minor.
In a statement on social media, the Anti-Defamation League of Cleveland said the organization is grateful for law enforcement's quick action and hopes it will be a “teachable” moment for young people.
“Hate and threats on social media, like in real life, cannot and will not be tolerated,” the league said in the statement.
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Samantha Hendrickson is a staff member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.