Pennsylvania man charged over alleged ISIS-inspired mass shooting plot
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly preparing to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS, according to federal prosecutors. The arrest came a day after the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Jonathan Hunter Kramer, 21, of Valencia, was stopped by FBI agents on Saturday after returning to the Cranberry Park Hotel in Cranberry Township with bags from a sporting goods store, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Officials said he had acquired a rifle earlier that day and paid cash for a room.
The suspect was charged with receiving a firearm and ammunition knowing or having reasonable cause to believe they would be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism. Prosecutors allege the intended crime involved providing material support to ISIS.
Three days before his arrest, an online account investigators attributed to the suspect wrote: “I am preparing for my mission, I just need a weapon and as soon as I have that I am ready,” according to an FBI affidavit.
The account, using the name “Hamza Al Rashid,” administered a group called “The Brotherhood” on the encrypted messaging platform SimpleX. Prosecutors said the user shared ISIS propaganda and explosives manuals, encouraged others to carry out attacks and discussed plans for mass violence with a paid FBI informant.
In those conversations, the user described plans to attack a crowd and said he could not legally obtain a firearm. Records from the firearms marketplace Armslist showed that the suspect contacted seven sellers in May and generally stopped communicating when they proposed completing a transfer through a licensed gun dealer, according to the affidavit.
On Saturday morning, agents watched the suspect leave his home carrying a backpack and take an Uber to a Walmart in Gibsonia. He bought a disposable cellphone, and his usual phone stopped responding to the cellular network.
Surveillance footage then showed him meeting someone in the parking lot and obtaining what appeared to be a long black bag from the trunk of a vehicle. The FBI said a bag containing the rifle later found in his hotel room closely resembled the one seen in the footage.
The suspect traveled to the hotel and paid $450 cash for a week’s stay. A guest who had worked as a shooting range safety officer told agents that a metallic sound from his bag resembled firearm magazines striking each other.
After checking in, the suspect visited Dunham’s Sports, where agents observed him at the firearms counter. They approached him when he returned to the hotel, and he agreed to speak with them.
Searches uncovered three 30-round rifle magazines and 130 rounds of ammunition in his shopping bags. In the hotel room, agents found a DPMS Panther Arms semiautomatic rifle, two loaded magazines, a scope, a bipod, an entrenchment tool, pepper spray, a prayer rug and a cellphone inside two bags designed to block electronic signals.
Agents also searched his bedroom at home, where they found approximately 30 knives and an undated handwritten note saying: “Don’t look for me. IDK what I did but I can’t live in constant fear.”
The affidavit also described earlier online discussions about poisoning food and drinks at grocery stores and events, with the user expressing a preference for targeting synagogues.
A document attributed to the account discussed attacks on venues including nightclubs, theaters, hotels and schools. The affidavit did not identify a specific location selected for the alleged shooting.
In one June message, the account denied supporting or belonging to ISIS and described its activity as curiosity and a hobby. The FBI agent who wrote the affidavit said the other communications and subsequent actions supported his belief that the suspect intended to attack on the group’s behalf.
The FBI had previously investigated the suspect in 2023 over a mass casualty plot. A search at that time uncovered a recorded pledge of allegiance to ISIS, and he was later adjudicated delinquent on child sexual abuse material and prohibited offensive weapons offenses.
He was released from a juvenile detention facility in March. An anonymous tip later that month reported that he was receiving “mysterious” packages and reconnecting with people he knew before his detention, leading to renewed investigation.
The suspect made his initial court appearance on Monday. Prosecutors have requested that he remain in custody without bond pending trial, arguing that he poses a danger to the community.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
