Florida man Forrest Kendall Pemberton was charged with planning the mass shooting of Jewish workers
A Florida man has been charged with allegedly planning a shooting plot against Jewish workers at an Israeli nonprofit, the Justice Department said.
Forrest Kendall Pemberton, 27, of Gainesville, is charged with attempted hate crime, use and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a handgun.
State prosecutors said on Dec. 23, 2024, Pemberton attempted to shoot at the office of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a group that lobbies the US government to support Israel, in the town of Plantation in South Florida.
He was reportedly armed with an AR-15 rifle equipped with a silencer. The Palm Beach Post previously reported that AIPAC was the target group. Court documents did not specify the nonprofit.
Critics of AIPAC say the group defends the actions of conservative Israeli governments, including settlement expansion policies in the West Bank and aggressive military campaigns, while opposing conditions or limits on US military aid to Israel.
If convicted, Pemberton faces life in prison on the aggravated assault charge, a mandatory consecutive sentence of 30 years on the firearm charge, and five years on the possession charge.
Investigators tracked Pemberton using cellphone geolocation technology. He was allegedly planning to volunteer for AIPAC in an effort to reach the group and carry out a deadly attack. Authorities say he left his home on December 22, 2024, with two handguns and a shotgun after leaving a note for his family.
However, when he arrived at the building he believed to be AIPAC’s headquarters, the building was empty, The Palm Beach Post previously reported.
Law enforcement first became involved in the case when Pemberton’s father called the Gainesville Police Department out of concern about his son’s disappearance.
The newspaper reported that Pemberton left a letter apologizing to his family and discussing his “difficulties in power” and “modern day mistakes.”
“Living in a flawed system bothers me in ways I can’t explain,” he is said to have written. “I’m breaking the loop.”
Pemberton was pulled over in Tallahassee on Christmas Day 2024, while driving a pickup truck. His abandoned truck was found by authorities on the side of the road.
At that time, Pemberton allegedly told authorities that he was on his way to Alabama to deliver one of his guns to an acquaintance.
No arrests were made as a result of the stop. Pemberton’s father was informed, went to Tallahassee, and brought his son back to Gainesville.
On December 26, 2024, Pemberton agreed to be interviewed by investigators, who asked if he intended to commit an act of violence.
“Eh, I really don’t know if I’m going to finish it with my life or not,” he said. I wasn’t that far yet. It totally depended on whether I ended up getting caught. If I got caught, that was the way out.”
Pemberton was arrested the next day. Fox News Digital reached out to AIPAC.
