As you may have noticed, I’ve been working on highlighting some news events this year that had positive outcomes rather than just tragedies. These have included mass shootings in schools that were stopped before they began and thwarted terror attacks. I felt it was important to do this for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s 2023 and I think we could all use some good news once in a while. But it’s also important to highlight what worked as opposed to what failed when tragedies take place. That sort of data may help others around the nation to avoid experiencing something awful.

On top of all that, today’s story gives us the opportunity to send some props to the FBI for a job well done. And that’s an opportunity that has become rare indeed. The story in question involves a disturbed young man in Michigan who was allegedly plotting a mass attack on a Synagogue. But the feds caught on to the plot and the preparations the man was making and swooped in to arrest him before he could “kill as many Jews as possible.” (CBS News)

FBI agents arrested a Michigan man on Friday accused of planning a mass killing at a synagogue in East Lansing, according to federal court documents filed in the Western District of Michigan.

Seann Patrick Pietila discussed the attack on Instagram, court documents said, where he frequently posted anti-semitic remarks about hating Jews and being inspired by the men convicted of two mass shootings in New Zealand and Norway, who shot and killed dozens of people – driven to the murders by religious hatred and far-right extremism.

He was charged with one count of interstate communication of threats and made his first appearance in court on Friday, court records show.

Seann Patrick Pietila wasn’t exactly acting like a rocket scientist when plotting his attack on the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue in Lansing, Michigan. He had been advertising his hatred of Jews on social media for quite some time. He also praised previous mass shooters who had killed Jews in Norway and New Zealand, among other places.

When searching his home, the FBI found multiple firearms and stockpiles of ammunition. He also had knives, a skull mask, and a Nazi flag. This guy was essentially almost a parody of a Nazi because of being so obvious in his hateful beliefs. He also posted plans including pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails.

It is unclear exactly what tipped off the Bureau and put them on Pietila’s trail in the first place. But the one thing we can learn from this lesson is that the public bears some responsibility for thwarting this sort of person when they pop up. We need to get the word out and remind people that if they see someone behaving this way on social media, they need to alert law enforcement. If you see something, say something, even if it’s just on Instagram or Twitter.

Obviously, I’m not talking about people who are simply expressing opinions you may disagree with. There’s a significant difference between this guy and someone who is calling for boycotts of Israel. But he was posting pictures of weapons and even set a date for his attack. (Not coincidentally, it was the anniversary of the mass shooting in New Zealand.) That’s the sort of person who needs to have law enforcement watching him very closely.

So allow me to extend some rare congratulations to the FBI, or at least the agents in the field office that handled this investigation. I would far rather report on this guy going to trial before he had the chance to kill anyone than be forced to talk about him while multiple funerals were being planned. Please inform the public about the need to work together. Everyone is upset about all of the mass shootings that have taken place, and rightfully so. But this is an example of how we can actually do something about it without infringing on the entire country’s rights.