A 13-year-old boy, accused of planning a mass shooting at a synagogue in Ohio, was discovered to be coordinating with an unidentified individual in Washington state through the Discord group-chat app, according to a Stark County sheriff’s incident report released on Thursday.
The report, dated Sept. 7, stated that an FBI agent learned of the boy’s “threats and plans to burn down and shoot up the Temple Israel.” During an interview conducted by the FBI agent, sheriff deputies, and the boy’s mother, it was revealed that the teenager was part of multiple antisemitic and political groups on Discord. The boy had shared plans and maps of the synagogue, possibly created in collaboration with an unknown individual from Washington state.
The incident report noted that the interview was recorded by the deputies’ body cameras. Although the boy’s identity was not disclosed publicly, authorities later arrested him, and he was booked into the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center in Canton Township. The boy faces misdemeanor charges of inducing panic and disorderly conduct, with a trial scheduled for Dec. 20 in Stark County Family Court.
In response to the incident, the Stark County Sheriff’s Office emphasized a zero-tolerance policy toward threats to the community, and Sheriff George Maier stated, “Every threat is investigated thoroughly with the seriousness it deserves. We work diligently to ensure that those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Discord, the messaging app used by the individuals involved, played a role in alerting the FBI to the situation. Discord Vice President of Trust and Safety, John Redgrave, stated, “Discord’s Counter-Extremism analysts proactively detected, removed, and reported this user to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center, which is what led to the user’s arrest. We have a zero-tolerance policy against hate and violent extremism, and when we see it, we take immediate action.”