Downtown Canton, Ohio. Photo by iStock by Getty Images

By Debrah Miszak December 14, 2023

A 13-year-old boy in Canton, Ohio, was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors after using a chat-based social media platform to plan a mass shooting at a local Reform synagogue.

News broke Wednesday that the Stark County Sheriff’s office had become aware of the “detailed threat” against Temple Israel on September 1, over a month before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War, according to documents viewed by Ohio news station WKYC. The teenager’s plans came to light after messages he made on Discord, a social media server, were reported to authorities. 

The teenager has been charged with misdemeanor offenses for inducing panic and disorderly conduct. His adjudicatory hearing is set for December 20 in Stark County Family Court. If found delinquent, he may face up to 90 days in custody at a detention center.

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The Stark County Sheriff’s office did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear whether or not the teenager had access to weapons. Details of his plan have not been made public.

Rabbi David Komerofsky, Temple Israel’s rabbi, did not respond to a request for comment, but declined to comment to other news outlets because the case involved a minor.

The Cleveland branch of the Anti-Defamation League released a statement on X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter, thanking law enforcement for its response.

“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,” the organization wrote. “And for young people like this suspect, we hope this can be a teachable moment. Hate and threats on social media, as in real life, cannot and will not be tolerated.”

The FBI’s most recent statistics reported a 25% increase in antisemitic hate crimes between 2021-2022, with Jews experiencing more than half of reported religious-based hate crimes despite only making up 2.4% of the U.S. population. 

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