Forrest Kendall Pemberton, of Tallahassee, Florida, faces federal stalking charges after allegedly plotting an attack on the local offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Plantation, Florida. The alleged attack, planned for the first night of Hanukkah, December 25th, was apparently thwarted by the FBI.
According to court documents obtained by CBS, Pemberton traveled to Plantation on December 22nd and checked into a hotel approximately two miles from the AIPAC offices. On December 25th, he was apprehended in a ride-share vehicle in Tallahassee. Law enforcement officers discovered three firearms in his possession: an AR-style rifle, a 9mm Luger pistol, and a Galil rifle, along with ammunition.
While the charging documents don’t explicitly name AIPAC, they reference the targeted organization’s mission statement, using identical language from the AIPAC website, and citing the group’s Plantation address. Investigators believe Pemberton targeted AIPAC “because of its political influence” and his “frustration with the status quo,” according to an FBI affidavit. When questioned about the possibility of a mass casualty event followed by suicide, Pemberton stated that he hadn’t decided whether he would take his own life, explaining that it “entirely depended if [he] ended up getting caught or not.” He claimed to have “ultimately decided against” taking action.
The investigation was initiated after Pemberton’s family contacted authorities. They had discovered a note expressing Pemberton’s desire to “close the loop,” “stoke the flames,” and “say goodbye.” His father also informed investigators that his son might be carrying an AR-15 rifle, a 9mm Luger pistol, and a Galil rifle – descriptions matching the weapons later recovered.
Pemberton remains in custody pending a federal court hearing in Gainesville scheduled for next Monday. In a statement, an AIPAC spokesperson affirmed that they are “working closely with law enforcement” and that they “will not be deterred by extremists.” They expressed gratitude to the FBI for preventing the potential attack.