The arrest of James Reardon is the latest in a trend of attempts to target Jewish communities in the US, after another arrest last week
August 19, 2019 10:38
Police in Ohio have arrested a man suspected of planning to carry out a shooting at a Jewish community centre.
James Reardon posted a video on Instagram – under the pseudonym ‘I-R-A Seamus’ – of a man firing a gun, with a caption that mentioned the Youngstown Jewish Family Community centre.
A search of the 20-year-old’s home found two AR-15 assault rifles, a 40 calibre anti-tank gun, a bulletproof vest and a gas mask.
Police told WKBN-TV: “There were several videos that he posted on Instagram where he used a lot of derogatory remarks towards the Jewish community, and the African-American community, things of that nature.”
In a YouTube video from 2017, Reardon says that he is a white nationalist, and he wants a homeland for white people.
The community centre has since added extra security.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of Anti-Defamation League, told the JC: “It is deeply unsettling that only one week since law enforcement thwarted a potential white supremacist attack in Las Vegas we are confronted with yet another plot against Jewish communities, this time in Youngstown, Ohio.
"This arrest, especially in light of reports that the suspect attended the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, is a sad reminder of the continued rise of white nationalism and violent extremism that is occurring nationwide.”
The arrest is the latest in a wave of attacks and attempted to target Jews in the US.
Last week a man in Las Vegas arrested by the FBI allegedly wanted to attack Jews and customers of an LGBT bar.
According to NBC News, Conor Climo told FBI agents he had acquired electronic components to build a bomb and that he wanted to assemble an eight snipers to shoot Jewish people, either at a Las Vegas synagogue or a different location.
Prosecutors said he communicated with people who “identified with” the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group.
Youngstown Area Jewish Federation released a statement saying: “This is a clear example of everything going right. The system worked.
“We take very seriously the need to be vigilant to ensure the safety of all members of the local Jewish community.”
According to charging documents, bomb-making components and chemical compounds were found in Mr Climo’s bedroom, along with an assault rifle.
Police are investigating the slashing of more than 100 tyres on Jewish residents’ cars as a potential hate crime in Lakewood, New Jersey, home to a large Charedi community.
Earlier this month a synagogue in Florida received antisemitic threats. The shul was close to another in Miami, outside of which a man had been shot in a drive-by shooting.
They all happened in the wake of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which left 11 people dead and six injured last October and the shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California left one dead and several injured in April.
