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Man arrested after allegedly threatening Florida temple with bomb

The synagogue’s elementary school had to be placed on lockdown as a result.

City Hall in Ormond Beach, Fla.
City Hall in Ormond Beach, Fla. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

A man was arrested on Jan. 28 as a result of a bomb threat made against a synagogue in Ormond Beach, Fla., six miles from Daytona Beach in the northern part of the state, according to local police.

The Ormond Beach Police Department stated that Robert Tuck, 57, is suspected of calling Temple Beth-El, a Reform synagogue in the city, that morning and making the threat. The synagogue’s elementary school was subsequently placed on lockdown, and law enforcement searched the area for explosives, ultimately finding none.

Tuck was arrested that afternoon in Daytona Beach.

He faces charges that include threatening to throw, project, place or discharge a destructive device and issuing a false report on planting a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction, per police.

“I hope all the folks from Temple Israel know that we’re praying for them,” the U.S. vice president said. “We’re thinking about them.”
The co-author of the K-12 law told JNS that “this attempt to undermine crucial safety protections for Jewish children at a time when antisemitic hate and violence is rampant and rising is breathtaking.”
The measure has drawn opposition from civil-liberties groups, including the state’s ACLU.

Israel Airports Authority confirmed that the planes were empty and no injuries were reported.

The victims suffered light blast wounds and were listed in good condition at Beilinson Hospital.
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