San Antonio police said a person was taken into custody, but hasn’t identified who they are.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio city officials said a suspect was taken into custody Thursday as law enforcement looked into “threats to commit a mass shooting at a Jewish facility.”
According to a press release, the information was initially passed on to the San Antonio Police Department by the local FBI field office, which told KENS 5 the threats were targeting a “Jewish Cultural Enrichment Center.” Earlier in the day, the federal agency said it was involved in an investigation regarding the Barshop Jewish Community Center at Northwest Military and Wurzbach.
“The FBI San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) immediately began working with the San Antonio Police Department to investigate the potential threat,” FBI San Antonio officials said in a statement. “Leaders in the Jewish community were notified and in partnership with SAPD, additional protocols were implemented to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community here in San Antonio.”
The Jewish Federation of San Antonio said it was in contact with local and federal law enforcement while they monitor the situation.
SAPD did not identify the suspect that was taken into custody, but said it was the same person found by FBI authorities in another state.
“The arrest was based on statements the individual made while being questioned by authorities,” the city’s press release said.
“The investigation is continuing to determine the veracity of the threat information,” an FBI San Antonio spokesperson added. “Based on our investigation, we don’t believe there is an imminent threat targeting the Jewish community in the San Antonio area.”
The city said something similar, adding the arrest “significantly mitigates any further danger.” SAPD has also increased its police presence at Jewish facilities in the city as a precaution. Police units were seen outside Barshop on Thursday afternoon.
“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,” Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said 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.”
Hate crimes against Jewish people living in the U.S. surged in late 2023, according to FBI data. The number of reported incidents, which has been wavering between 83 and 138 incidents a month across the country, rose to 333 in October of that year and 390 in November.
The number of anti-Jewish hate crime incidents dropped to 278 in December 2023, which accounts for the most recent available data by the FBI.
Rhonda Grimm is the president of the National Council of Jewish Women San Antonio. She said these types of acts should never be normalized and applauded the Jewish Federation of San Antonio for acting swiftly alongside law enforcement.
“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.
She said her organization is dedicated to fighting antisemitism and racism.
“It could be us targeted, it could be another group targeted tomorrow,” Grimm said. “We all look out for each other.”