Forrest Kendall Pemberton, a 26-year-old Gainesville resident, was arrested by the FBI on federal stalking charges Dec. 28 for allegedly plotting an attack on a major pro-Israel organization in Plantation, Florida.
According to court documents, Pemberton visited the pro-Israel organization’s office Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 to “scout” the location, intending to confirm access and return with concealed firearms.
Although charging documents didn’t explicitly identify the victim of Pemberton’s stalking, an article by CBS News said it was likely the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which has a listed address in Plantation, Florida, the location Pemberton was allegedly targeting.
AIPAC is a national advocacy organization promoting pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States government. According to the policy tab of the AIPAC website, the organization claims to advocate for “pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
According to court documents, federal law enforcement were first contacted about Pemberton Dec. 23 after he left his family home in the middle of the night. He was believed to have left the home with an AR-15 rifle in a soft case, a 9mm Luger pistol, a Galil rifle and a personal laptop computer.
Transactions on his desktop computer left the FBI clues for his alleged plan, according to court documents.
On Dec. 23, Pemberton reportedly made four ATM withdrawals in Plantation, Florida, and searched Google Maps for the office address of the organization he was targeting. The ATM withdrawals he made were within approximately a mile of the address.
On Dec. 24, records provided by the social media platform Pemberton was using on the previous day traced back to an Internet Protocol address at a hotel located within two miles of the company he was targeting. According to the court documents, Pemberton checked into the hotel on Dec. 22 and checked out Dec. 23.
Authorities were able to locate Pemberton at another hotel in Tallahassee, Florida, on Dec. 24 through telephone geo-location data and ride-sharing application data. On Dec. 25, law enforcement officers observed Pemberton as he entered a ride-share vehicle carrying a soft rifle case. They stopped the vehicle, and Pemberton turned over his three firearms.
During his non-custodial interview, Pemberton said he chose his victim because of its “political influence.” He said he wanted to challenge the “status quo” and see if he could “make a change.”
When asked if he was planning a “mass casualty” event followed by suicide, Pemberton allegedly said he was unsure, but “if caught, that was a way out.”
According to the court documents, Pemberton said he ultimately decided not to pursue criminal action against the victim organization because he “decided [he] wasn’t ready.”
On Dec. 26, Pemberton was charged with a mental health risk protection by Gainesville Police Department officers. Under the protection order, he is required to surrender all the firearms in his possession and is prohibited from purchasing any more. He must also relinquish his license to carry firearms.
Pemberton was arrested by the FBI on Dec. 28 for stalking and is accused of traveling to the organization’s office with the intent of “killing, injuring, harassing and intimidating” individuals at the location.
Pemberton’s detention hearing is scheduled to take place Monday in Gainesville.
Contact Annie Wang at awang@alligator.org. Follow her on X @wynwg.
Annie Wang is a sophomore journalism student and the Fall 2024 University Administration Reporter. She previously wrote for the University Desk as a General Assignment reporter. In her spare time, she can be found reading and writing book reviews.
