Boy, 13, charged with plotting mass shooting at Ohio synagogue
Teen allegedly hatched plan on Discord
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A 13-year-old boy is facing criminal charges after authorities uncovered his alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a synagogue in Ohio.
The teenager was allegedly devising a plan to “complete a mass shooting” at Temple Israel in Canton, Ohio, according to court filings obtained by USA Today.
The online group chat platform Discord was used to create the plan, which was reported to law enforcement and other organisations such as the local school system, sparking “significant public alarm”, the documents state.
In the initial incident report shared with The Independent from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, the report notes that the student had threats and plans to “burn down and shoot up” Temple Israel, and was part of multiple antisemitic and political groups on Discord.
“We stand by a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats made against our community,” Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a news release.
“Every threat is investigated thoroughly with the seriousness it deserves.”
The boy’s alleged plot was discovered on 1 September. He has since been charged with two juvenile misdemeanours for inducing panic and disorderly conduct, and is set to face trial at the Stark County Family Court on 20 December.
Rabbi David Komerofsky of Temple Israel declined to comment to the outlet as the incident involves a child.
Between 2021 and 2022, antisemitic hate crimes have risen by 25 per cent, according to recent government statistics.
The Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that advocates against antisemitism, said they received reports of 3,697 antisemitic incidents across the US in 2022.
Since 7 October, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, they have claimed to have tracked 832 anti-Jewish acts in the US.
This incident is believed to have been planned before 7 October, when the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated.
Similar incidents have occurred throughout the country, such as last week when a man fired a shotgun outside a synagogue in New York City.
The Iraqi-born US citizen was arrested after he laid down the shotgun and told the court he felt affected by the events in the Middle East.
No one was injured during the incident, but children in a local preschool had to take shelter while police searched the area.
The Independent has contacted the Stark County Sheriff for more information.