A 13-year-old boy who shared a “detailed plan” to attack Temple Israel, a Reform congregation in Canton, Ohio, has been arrested and charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct. He is due in Stark County Family Court on Dec. 20.
The accused, whose name has been redacted, created “a detailed plan to complete a mass shooting at the Temple Israel on the Discord platform,” per court documents viewed by the Cleveland television station WKYC.
The threat, which the minor allegedly made on the messaging application on Sept. 1, “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.”
Among the prominent statements on the synagogue’s website homepage is “We stand with Israel.”
“We’re horrified that a young teen has been arrested and accused of planning a mass shooting at a synagogue in Canton, Ohio. We thank law enforcement for its thorough investigation,” wrote the Cleveland regional office of the Anti-Defamation League, which serves Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
“For young people like this suspect, we hope this can be a teachable moment,” it added. “Hate and threats on social media, as in real life, cannot and will not be tolerated.”
