A former National Guardsman and school security guard at a Jewish academy in Ohio has been arrested and charged for making terrorist threats against the students he was supposed to be protecting.
Court documents obtained by The Daily Beast show Thomas Develin was arrested in Franklin County on Wednesday.
Police were alerted to a photo circulating on social media site Discord of Develin holding a firearm while working as a security guard at Columbus Torah Academy, ABC 6 Columbus reported. Develin allegedly captioned the March 11 post to say he was “at a Jewish school and about to make it everyone's problem.”
ADVERTISEMENT
In separate posts, Develin allegedly said, “The playground is about to turn into a self-defense situation” and that he wanted to “shoot parents coming to pick up their children,” CBS 10 Columbus reported, citing court documents.
The court documents also allege Develin, 24, had made disparaging comments on social media in the past about communities of color, women, and law enforcement, ABC 6 reported.
Administrators at Columbus Torah Academy declined to comment on the matter but referred The Daily Beast to JewishColumbus, a local organization dedicated to uniting the Jewish community through schools, temples of worship, security, and programming.
In a statement, JewishColumbus said Develin’s posts were “an act of antisemitism” and “a cowardly act of intimidation.”
“It was an attempt to silence our Jewish beliefs. For far too long Jews have been mentally and physically intimidated in spaces online, at schools, universities and in our community. Virulent antisemitic rhetoric breeds extremism and has no place in our community,” the statement read. “We are a proud and diverse Jewish community. We stand resolute against antisemitism and remain committed to safeguarding our institutions. It is our right to live peacefully as Jews and we will not cower to intimidation. Our Jewish community is here to stay and we will not be silenced.”
JewishColumbus President and CEO Joel Marcovitch told The Daily Beast that the organization’s biggest priority is security, especially after the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. He added that, sadly, the $1 million a year it costs for security in the community takes away from other important programs—like schools, assisting the needy, or providing support to Holocaust survivors.
“Anti-semitism isn’t just a Jewish problem; it’s a societal problem,” Marcovitch said.
He noted that background checks do not cover social media accounts, saying Develin “on paper...was the perfect candidate to be a security guard because he had the credentials and the training in order to do that. But again, you never know how people conduct themselves online.”
NBC 4 reported that prosecutors claimed Develin was suspended from the Ohio National Guard, but his LinkedIn profile still lists him as a sergeant and air artillery operator with part-time employment. His position as a security guard at Columbus Torah Academy is not listed.
In 2020, Develin’s father, William Develin, was awarded by local and state Mason lodges for his involvement as a troop leader with the Boy Scouts of America, The Pike County News Watchman reported. While his father was a Scoutmaster, Develin achieved the Eagle Scout rank just before joining the Ohio National Guard in high school.
Develin’s family did not immediately return The Daily Beast’s request for comment Friday.
Columbus Torah Academy is a K-12 private learning institution that boasts a mission to “develop…students into educated, contributing, active, aware members of contemporary American and Jewish societies.” The school offers both secular education, as well “a modern Orthodox Zionist framework.”
It is unclear how long Develin worked as a school security guard. He is being held on a $1 million bond, and a preliminary hearing is set for April 8.
