CNN
—
A 13-year-old in Ohio is facing criminal charges after allegedly crafting “a detailed plan” for a mass shooting at a synagogue in September, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
The teen, whom authorities have not publicly identified, posted “a detailed plan to complete a mass shooting” at Temple Israel in Canton, according to the court documents. The defendant posted the plans on the social media platform Discord, and when authorities notified public individuals and agencies and the school system, it caused “significant public alarm,” according to the documents.
The 13-year-old is charged with misdemeanor counts of inducing panic and disorderly conduct in the September 1 incident, according to the documents. CNN has reached out to the teen’s attorney for comment.
The story was earlier reported by CNN affiliate WOIO and local outlet WKYC.
Its unclear if any weapons were found when the teen was arrested or how serious the intentions were.
tThe teen is due to appear next week in Stark County Family Court for a trial on the charges. CNN has reached out to Stark County officials and the synagogue for more information.
The incident came more than a month before Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza, a conflict that has sparked a surge of antisemitic and other threats across the United States. With the war now in its third month, there has been an increase in reported incidents targeting Jews, Arabs and Muslims in the US.
More than 2,000 antisemitic incidents have been documented in the US in the two months after the conflict began October 7 – a 337% increase over the same period last year, the Anti-Defamation League said. And the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported an “unprecedented” spike in bias incidents in the month after the war began and has tallied more than 2,000 requests for help and reports of bias since, it said.
Of the alleged mass shooting plot in Ohio, the Anti-Defamation League in Cleveland was “horrified” and thanked law enforcement for “its thorough investigation,” the group said in a statement Wednesday.
“For young people like this suspect, we hope this can be a teachable moment,” the group said. “Hate and threats on social media, as in real life, cannot and will not be tolerated.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
