CANTON, Ohio — According to court documents 3News obtained from a Stark County court official, a 13-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with planning a mass shooting at the Temple Israel synagogue in Canton.
The juvenile has been charged with the following misdemeanors:
- Inducing panic (M1)
- Disorderly conduct (M4)
The Stark County Sheriff's Office says that they responded to a Plain Township residence on Sept. 7 for a report of a 13-year-old boy engaging in "concerning conversations" on a social media platform. Those conversations included numerous threats toward the Temple Israel on 30th Street NW in Canton.
The boy is set to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 20, in Stark County Family Court.
“We stand by a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to threats made against our community," explained Stark County Sheriff George Maier. "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. Protecting our community is a responsibility we bear with the highest level of commitment and vigilance."
The following statement is seen in the court documents complaint for the inducing panic charge:
"(Name redacted) did create a detailed plan to complete a mass shooting at the Temple Israel on the Discord platform which was reported to law enforcement and required an immediate investigatory response and notification of public individuals and agencies including the school system in which caused significant public alarm within those agencies."
Discord is an online chat-based server for group chats through verbal/video/text communication.
3News later spoke to Kelly Fishman, executive director of the Cleveland Anti-Defamation League. To her, this is part of a larger issue: kids being exposed to online hate speech.
"We don't have a rash of 12 and 13 and 14-year-olds who all of a sudden have a massive amount of hate for one group of people," she explained. "They have bought into a rhetoric that makes it seem like it's the right choice."
The boy's family, whom we are not naming and who did not want to go on camera, expressed similar concerns when reached for comment. They described the teen as a "good, smart kid" who went to church every Sunday but was "most definitely influenced" by older men on Discord.
Fishman says there are ways parents and schools can keep kids safe, since they can be heavily influenced online.
"I think that it will help us get some more perspective if we do step back to social media and give us an opportunity to really try to understand what's the mis or disinformation that's out there," she explained. "[Such as,] 'How do I fact check these sources to make sure that I've got a real understanding and a broad array of perspectives of what's being presented online?'"
The ADL recently review nine popular tech companies on how they are protecting people from online hate and harassment. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all received "Cs"; Twitter (now known as X) and Facebook each got a "C-": while Discord was given a "D."
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