GAINESVILLE, FL - Forrest Pemberton of Gainesville, Florida was arrested by federal agents in what the FBI has suggested was the disruption of a potential plot to threaten or kill staffers of a large pro-Israel organization based in the United States on the first night of Hanukkah.
Pemberton, currently held at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, has been accused of attempting to “scout” the area surrounding offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) located in southern Florida on December 22-23. He then planned to return with concealed firearms.
As reported by CBS News, court documents did not specifically name AIPAC as Pemberton’s target. However, the outlet reported that an FBI affidavit identified the targeted organization as one identical details and language from the AIPAC website.
Police were reportedly able to track the suspect to a hotel located less than two miles away from the AIPAC’s Florida offices in Plantation, FL on December 22 and he was also spotted several hours north in Tallahassee, FL three days later. It was at that point he was arrested in a rideshare vehicle armed with three firearms including a semi-automatic rifle.
When questioned by law enforcement consequent to his arrest, Pemberton told FBI agents, “I had firearms with me, the purpose was twofold. Like I said before, sell 'em if I need 'em, but otherwise they can be used for criminal intent if I wanted to, which was my intention, such as harming another individual."
The prosecution told the court that FBI agents asked Pemberton if he was plotting a “mass casualty” event followed by a suicide, to which he answered, “Um, I really don't know if I was gonna end it with my life or not. I hadn't gotten that far yet. It entirely depended if I ended up getting caught or not. If caught, that was a way out."
DOJ documentation outlines the allegations that Pemberton’s relatives discovered a “goodbye note” from the suspect complete with a manifesto of sorts in which he wrote of "anti-authority statements" of wanting to "close the loop" and "stoke the flames." Prosecutors told the court that Pemberton "ultimately decided against" the "criminal action" he referred to earlier, adding "I wasn't ready. I gave up."
An AIPAC spokesman explained in a statement to CBS, “We take these threats very seriously and we are working closely with law enforcement concerning this matter. We will not be deterred by extremists in pursuing our mission to strengthen the relationship with America's valued ally, Israel. We are deeply appreciative of the FBI's work to stop this individual."
Pemberton, currently held at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, has been accused of attempting to “scout” the area surrounding offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) located in southern Florida on December 22-23. He then planned to return with concealed firearms.
As reported by CBS News, court documents did not specifically name AIPAC as Pemberton’s target. However, the outlet reported that an FBI affidavit identified the targeted organization as one identical details and language from the AIPAC website.
Police were reportedly able to track the suspect to a hotel located less than two miles away from the AIPAC’s Florida offices in Plantation, FL on December 22 and he was also spotted several hours north in Tallahassee, FL three days later. It was at that point he was arrested in a rideshare vehicle armed with three firearms including a semi-automatic rifle.
When questioned by law enforcement consequent to his arrest, Pemberton told FBI agents, “I had firearms with me, the purpose was twofold. Like I said before, sell 'em if I need 'em, but otherwise they can be used for criminal intent if I wanted to, which was my intention, such as harming another individual."
Update: the man has been identified as Forrest Kendall Pemberton of Alachua, FL.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 1, 2025
He was arrested with an AR15 rifle, a Luger pistol & ammunition and told authorities he visited AIPAC to “scout” the location to come back later, armed.
He also stated he chose AIPAC because of… https://t.co/8m74WtUT4M pic.twitter.com/PMgGCtUotp
The prosecution told the court that FBI agents asked Pemberton if he was plotting a “mass casualty” event followed by a suicide, to which he answered, “Um, I really don't know if I was gonna end it with my life or not. I hadn't gotten that far yet. It entirely depended if I ended up getting caught or not. If caught, that was a way out."
DOJ documentation outlines the allegations that Pemberton’s relatives discovered a “goodbye note” from the suspect complete with a manifesto of sorts in which he wrote of "anti-authority statements" of wanting to "close the loop" and "stoke the flames." Prosecutors told the court that Pemberton "ultimately decided against" the "criminal action" he referred to earlier, adding "I wasn't ready. I gave up."
An AIPAC spokesman explained in a statement to CBS, “We take these threats very seriously and we are working closely with law enforcement concerning this matter. We will not be deterred by extremists in pursuing our mission to strengthen the relationship with America's valued ally, Israel. We are deeply appreciative of the FBI's work to stop this individual."
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2025-01-03T19:15-0500 | Comment by: James
HOG WASH ............