Florida man indicted in alleged hate crime plot targeting Jewish nonprofit employees

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida man has been indicted after authorities say he armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle and attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting employees of a nonprofit organization because they were Jewish.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Forrest Kendall Pemberton, of Gainesville, was charged with a federal hate crime and firearms offenses after allegedly attempting a mass shooting targeting Jewish victims because of their race and religion.

See also: Diocese places Boynton Beach priest on administrative leave after ‘serious charges’

Court records say Pemberton, 57, armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle equipped with a silencer and traveled to the office of a nonprofit organization that lobbies the U.S. government in support of Israel. According to court records, on Dec. 23, 2024, he attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting the organization’s employees because they were Jewish.

If convicted, Pemberton faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on the hate crime charge, a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 30 years in prison on the firearm count and a maximum penalty of five years on the possession count.