(NewsInsights.org) – The popular online gaming platform known as Discord employed counter-extremism analysts to proactively detect, remove, and report a 13-year-old user to the FBI in September for creating detailed plans to execute a mass shooting at Temple Israel in Canton, Ohio, according to the company’s vice president of trust and safety, John Redgrave. Christian Turner, a spokesperson for the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed that police arrested the teen suspect in September, notified his school and the synagogue, and began a formal investigation.
On November 20, the prosecutor’s office filed a formal criminal complaint in Juvenile Court pertaining to the September 1 incident. The complaint only identified the suspect as JR because of his age. He faces misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and inducing panic and will appear in court again on December 20 to enter his pleas.
According to an earlier police report from his arrest, the boy told investigators he belonged to multiple antisemitic and political groups on Discord. The platform issued a statement saying it has “a zero-tolerance policy against hate and violent extremism.” Platform analysts react to remove instances whenever they encounter them.
The arrest occurred more than a month ahead of the Hamas attack on Israel. However, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noted that antisemitic incidents had shown steady increases even before the horrific attack. Kelly Fishman of the ADL in Cleveland, Ohio, said the incident reflected a broader problem: Kids are receiving exposure to hate speech online. She posted to X, formerly Twitter, saying the ADL wouldn’t accept hate speech in real life or online.
The suspect’s family agreed with Fishman. They said older men on Discord “most definitely influenced” the teen who typically attended church every Sunday and obtained good grades in school.
Fishman pointed out how critical parental involvement in teen online activities remains. She suggested that parents learn how to fact-check information with kids and teach the importance of looking at multiple sources and perspectives to help guard against misinformation and undue influence.
Copyright 2023, NewsInsights.org
