A federal grand jury charged a Gainesville man with hate crime and firearm offenses, alleging he attempted a mass shooting at a pro-Israel organization; the indictment is an allegation and he is presumed innocent
The U.S. Justice Department said a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has indicted a Florida man on federal hate crime and firearm charges, alleging he attempted a mass shooting targeting Jewish victims because of their race and religion.
According to the department, court records identify the man as Forrest Kendall Pemberton, 27, of Gainesville.
The department said that on Dec. 23, 2024, Pemberton allegedly armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a silencer, traveled to the office of a nonprofit that lobbies the U.S. government in support of Israel, and attempted to carry out a shooting targeting the organization’s employees because they were Jewish. The indictment is an allegation that has not been proven in court, and Pemberton is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
The department said Pemberton is charged with attempted hate crime, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle. According to the department, if convicted he faces a maximum of life in prison on the attempted hate crime count, a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 30 years on the firearm count, and up to five years on the possession count.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. The department said the FBI is investigating with assistance from the ATF and local police, and that the case is being prosecuted by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
