A federal grand jury has indicted a 27-year-old Gainesville, Florida man accused of allegedly planning a mass shooting targeting Jewish employees at a pro-Israel nonprofit organization.

Forrest Kendall Pemberton is facing federal hate crime and firearms charges following an investigation into an alleged plot that authorities say was discovered before an attack could take place.

According to court documents, the alleged incident occurred on December 23, 2024. Prosecutors claim Pemberton armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a silencer and traveled to the offices of a nonprofit organization that advocates for support of Israel.

Authorities allege that Pemberton intended to carry out a mass shooting against the organization’s employees specifically because they were Jewish.

The indictment includes three charges: attempted hate crime, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle.

If convicted, Pemberton could face severe penalties. The attempted hate crime charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, while the firearm charge could result in a mandatory additional sentence of up to 30 years. The short-barreled rifle charge carries a maximum penalty of five years.

The indictment was announced 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 investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, led by the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. The FBI Miami Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Office, Gainesville Police Department, and Tallahassee Police Department also assisted in the case.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman of the National Security Division for the Southern District of Florida, along with Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Manpreet “Monica” Uppal-Gupta of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.