A 13-year-old boy is facing charges for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a synagogue in Canton, Ohio, according to family court documents obtained by several local outlets.
The boy, whose name was redacted from documents, “did create a detailed plan to complete a mass shooting at the Temple Israel on the Discord platform which was reported to law enforcement and required an immediate investigatory response and notification of public individuals and agencies including the school system which caused significant public alarm within those agencies,” according to a court filing cited by The Canton Repository and WKYC.
The teen is charged with two misdemeanor counts, inducing panic and disorderly conduct, in connection to the alleged plot against the Jewish congregation, and is expected to make an appearance on Dec. 20 in Stark County Family Court for a preliminary hearing in the case.
Court documents show the threat was first uncovered around September 1 in Plain Township, Ohio, The Repository reported. The Stark County Sheriff’s Office is continueing its investigation, according to WOIO. Rabbi David Komerofsky of Temple Israel reportedly declined to comment to local outlets because the case involves a minor.
Google street view image Temple Israel in Canton. (Google)
Since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, considered the deadliest attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust, U.S. antisemitic incidents reached the highest number of incidents during any two-month period since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking in 1979, according to preliminary data released Monday by the organization. Between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, ADL recorded a total of 2,031 antisemitic incidents, up from 465 incidents during the same period in 2022, representing a 337% increase year-over-year.
Temple Israel Canton seen from the road. (Google )
That includes 40 incidents of physical assault, 337 incidents of vandalism, 749 incidents of verbal or written harassment and 905 rallies including antisemitic rhetoric, expressions of support for terrorism against the state of Israel and/or anti-Zionism, according to the ADL.
Notably, the threat targeting the Canton, Ohio, synagogue was detected before Oct. 7. According to the FBI’s annual statistics on hate crimes released on Oct. 16, 2023, antisemitic hate crimes rose 25% from 2021 to 2022, and antisemitism accounted for more than half of all reported religion-based hate crimes.
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“To those Americans worried about violence at home, as a result of the evil acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, we see you. We hear you,” President Biden said in a statement released through the White House in response to the FBI stats. “And I have asked members of my team, including Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland, to prioritize the prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm Jewish, Muslim, Arab American, or any other communities during this time. My Administration will continue to fight Antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
