YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WFMJ) – Uniformed guards are in place at the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown, Ohio following the arrest of a self-proclaimed white nationalist who allegedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting.
A video allegedly posted to Instagram by 20-year-old New Middletown resident James Patrick Reardon on July 11 shows him firing multiple rounds, which is legal. The caption under the post led to his arrest. It said, “Police identified the Youngstown Jewish Family Community shooter as white nationalist Seamus O’Reardon.”
New Middletown’s police chief says IRA Seamus was the online pseudonym used by Reardon.
“He was implying that he was going to be identified as the shooter of the Jewish Center. That kicked off a very intensive investigation, a very rapidly evolving investigation,” Chief Vince D’egidio said.
The Youngstown Police Department was notified along with the security team at JCC, and the FBI was called to assist the department. With the cooperation of the agencies and courts, police served a search warrant at Reardon’s mothers home on Eastwood Drive in New Middletown. They confiscated two AR-15’s, a rifle with a bayonet, a 40 caliber anti-tank gun, and knives.
“There were several videos that he posted on Instagram where he used a lot of derogatory remarks towards the Jewish community, and the African-American community, things of that nature,” D’Egidio added.
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