"Countless lives" saved after thwarted ISIS-inspired attack, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says
"Countless lives" were saved after the FBI thwarted a "mass casualty attack" allegedly planned by a 21-year-old Pennsylvania man, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh's director of community security said.
The FBI arrested 21-year-old Jonathan Kramer of Valencia at a hotel in Cranberry Township on Saturday. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says it learned of Kramer and his plan on Monday evening.
Investigators won't say which specific places Kramer had on his radar, but they say it included synagogues. Just last week, KDKA-TV spoke to the Jewish Federation about increased safety measures for Rosh Hashanah. Those are still in place as another Jewish holiday approaches.
"We know from law enforcement that he is in custody and that the threat has been mitigated, but like anything else, you wonder who else was he was associated with, are there other people he was involved with," said Shawn Brokos, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh's director of community security.
The FBI said Kramer had a rifle, dozens of knives and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, preparing to carry out a mass casualty event in the name of ISIS.
According to court documents, the 21-year-old's allegiance and support of the terrorist group dates back to when he was a minor. That's when he got on the FBI's radar.
In April 2023, at the age of 16 or 17, he was charged and found responsible for plotting a mass casualty event and possessing child sex abuse material. He was sent to a juvenile detention center in Oil City.
In March this year, at the age of 20, Kramer was released from that center. After that, federal investigators say he corresponded with others on multiple social platforms about places to carry out the massacres, including nightclubs, theaters, concerts, apartment buildings, hotels, protests and schools with low security. The FBI said he also detailed ways it could be done, like poisoning the food at synagogues.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says they are always on high alert and vigilant.
"We had a lot of safety in place, additional security guards, law enforcement for Rosh Hashanah and then going into this weekend, Sunday into Monday is Yom Kippur, and we will have the same elevated security presence," Brokos said. "So we haven't elevated it any further."
Multiple tips to the FBI helped stop Kramer's alleged plot. His reported social media handles dating back to 2023 caused concern, including one using the name of the Parkland school shooter.
"It's those concerned citizens who call in and agree to cooperate or share information," Brokos said. "That's the key to success, and that's what saved countless lives because we don't know where he was headed."
A public defender representing Kramer has filed a motion to redact his client's juvenile record from the court documents. It was granted.
