FBI filed documents in court This week, Forrest Kendall Pemberton of Gainesville, Florida, was accused of planning an attack on the South Florida office of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) with multiple firearms.
Pemberton, 26, is Reported missing The father, who is not named in the police report, told Gainesville police that he received a text message from Pemberton encouraging him to search a backpack he left in his bedroom.
The backpack was found to contain a “concerning” note that read “defending anti-authority sentiments” and looked eerily like a farewell message. Pemberton's father added that his son had previously “espoused anti-Semitic views.”
Pemberton's father said his son's browser search history includes a variety of government agencies and celebrities, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA), BlackRock, World Economic Forum (WEF), and AIPAC. It is said that it included a number of groups. The search for Mr. Pemberton also included information on various methods of assassination, including the use of poison and vehicles as weapons.
The most disturbing aspect of the situation was that Mr. Pemberton had multiple firearms in his possession, including two rifles and a pistol, which were missing from the room. His father believed he was planning an attack similar to the December 4 attack. murder Words from United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Police investigators tracked Pemberton to a motel in Plantation, Florida, where they discovered that Pemberton's browser history had been used to locate the AIPAC office. AIPAC moved its offices some time ago, but Google Maps still showed the old address.
Police say Pemberton stayed at the Plantation motel for just one day, checked out on Dec. 24, and resurfaced in Tallahassee, where he was given a ride from the car dealership to the Red Roof Inn. It turned out that he was using the Uber service.
The FBI placed the hotel under surveillance and intercepted Pemberton as he entered another carpool. He had all three firearms in his possession when he was captured on December 25, 2024, Christmas Day and the first day of Hanukkah.
Pemberton told investigators that his original plan was to walk from Gainesville to nearby Ocala, where he purchased a very inexpensive Ford F-150 truck and used rideshares with the intention of using it to commit the crime. He stated that he had done so. Apparently there was some trouble with the F-150 on the way to Tallahassee.
In an affidavit to prosecutors, the FBI said Pemberton said: targeted AIPAC's reasons were “political influence” and his “dissatisfaction with the status quo.” When asked if he was planning a suicide bombing, he replied that he had not yet decided on the “suicide” part.
“Well, I don't really know if I'm going to end my life or not. I wasn't there yet. It was totally up to me whether I would get caught or not. If I did, that would have been my escape,” he said. Ta.
“It would have been a one-way ticket. At the plantation, we decided we weren't ready. We gave up,” he said. said.
The FBI affidavit is vague about what exactly Pemberton was doing in Tallahassee, which is on the other side of the huge Florida peninsula from the plantation, requiring at least a seven-hour drive. The most efficient route between the two cities would be through Pemberton's hometown of Gainesville. Tallahassee is the state's capital, so Pemberton may have considered other targets after abandoning plans to attack AIPAC in Plantation.
Although the affidavit does not mention AIPAC by name, describing it only as an organization dedicated to “pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the relationship between the United States and Israel,” AIPAC Confirmed That was the intended target in Tuesday's statement.
“We are undaunted by extremists in pursuit of our mission to strengthen our relationship with Israel, a valued ally of the United States. We are deeply committed to the FBI's efforts to stop this individual. We are grateful,” AIPAC said.
Department of Justice (DoJ) Paid Pemberton claimed Monday that he had been stalking and spying on AIPAC offices with the intent to “kill, injure, harass, and intimidate” members of the organization.
For Pemberton, scheduled for a hearing Monday in U.S. Court in Gainesville.
