Boy, 13, charged after allegedly planning mass shooting in a synagogue
CTV
A 13-year old boy from Canton, Ohio, has been charged with allegedly planning a mass shooting of a local Jewish synagogue.
A 13-year old boy from Canton, Ohio, has been charged with allegedly planning a mass shooting of a local Jewish synagogue.
The teenager, who is unnamed in court documents because he is a minor, is charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He's accused of posting a "detailed plan to complete a mass shooting" at Temple Israel in Canton, a city south of Akron, on the live streaming platform Discord.
The charges come amid a rise of antisemitism in the United States and worldwide. In the U.S. alone, antisemitic incidents rose 35% from 2021 to 2022.
According to documents released by the Stark County Sherriff's Office Thursday, an FBI agent alerted the department to the Discord posts on Sept. 7. The plans were initially posted on Sept. 1, and contained maps of the synagogue allegedly drawn by the boy and another individual in Washington state. They also included plans to burn down and "shoot up" the building.
When confronted by law enforcement, the boy admitted to being a part of multiple antisemitic and political groups on the platform, according to the documents. He was then arrested, and a trial hearing is set for Dec. 20.
"We stand by a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats made against our community," Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a statement. "Every threat is investigated thoroughly with the seriousness it deserves."
An attorney for the boy did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
