The Barshop Jewish Community Center in San Antonio, Texas was closed Thursday following threats of a mass shooting. (Screenshot)
(JTA) — A suspect was arrested Thursday who allegedly planned a mass shooting at the Barshop Jewish Community Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The suspect, who was not identified, was located by police in another state and was arrested based on statements made by the suspect while in police custody, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
In response to the alleged threats, the Barshop JCC was closed Thursday and police presence was increased at Jewish facilities throughout the city, according to police.
“The FBI received information overnight indicating that an individual may have been planning to conduct a mass shooting at a Jewish Cultural Enrichment Center,” the FBI San Antonio Field Office said in a statement. “An individual believed to be associated with this has been located by the FBI in another state and the investigation is continuing to determine the veracity of the threat information.”
The incident comes at a time of high alert for Jewish communities in the United States, following multiple recent violent attacks on Jewish targets. It also follows waves of threats to Jewish institutions that have unfolded in recent years, including hundreds of false bomb threats sent by email and phone to synagogues and JCCs. Police in multiple states have also arrested people they accused of traveling to attack Jewish targets.
Eric Ryniker, the executive director of San Antonio synagogue Temple Beth El, told local news channel KSAT that he had received a call from the FBI early Thursday morning informing him that they were not only “focusing on the JCC but the Jewish community entirely.”
Ryniker told KSAT that his reaction to the call from the FBI was “frustration more than anything” — but not because of how the agency was responding.
“Honestly, frustration more than anything because of how almost routine it is. It’s terrible. It’s tragic. It’s not OK,” Ryniker said. “And yet, this is just part of what we do. We have these protocols in place because we know things like this are going to happen.”
Rabbi Mara Nathan, the senior rabbi of Temple Beth El, received a personal call from San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who was inaugurated Wednesday, according to KSAT.
“I appreciate Chief McManus and SAPD working to quickly mitigate any potential increased risks to our Jewish community and we will continue to monitor this situation closely with City Manager Walsh,” said Jones in a statement. “Anti-Semitism has no place in San Antonio, and we’ll take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of our Jewish neighbors.”
At Shalom Austin, a Jewish umbrella organization that includes the JCC and multiple synagogues in Austin, Texas, an email was sent to the community informing them of the threats to the JCC in San Antonio.
“We are reaching out to share that the JCC in San Antonio is closed today as a precaution following information the FBI and San Antonio Police provided to their local Jewish community about a potential threat,” the email read, adding that there were “no known threats” to the Austin Jewish community.
Rhonda Grimm, the president of the National Council of Jewish Women San Antonio, told local television station KENS that they had received a “very very strong show of support.”
“We received a great deal of support today, so while tensions are high and there’s anxiety, there’s a very very strong show of support,” Grimm said.
“It could be us targeted, it could be another group targeted tomorrow,” Grimm continued. “We all look out for each other.”
