A Florida man, John Lapinski, 41, found himself behind bars this Halloween after police uncovered a chilling situation involving guns, a suppressor, and a disturbing list of targets. Authorities say the list included a congressman and places connected to Jewish and Black communities.
The trouble started early Halloween morning in Margate, a town about 40 miles from Miami. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around 6:30 a.m., which led police to a house shared by Lapinski and his sister. When officers arrived, his sister told them it was just the two of them at home. It didn’t take long for police to figure out that Lapinski was the one who had fired the shots.
After his arrest, Lapinski was sent for a mental health evaluation. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but officers found some concerning things in the house, including spent bullet casings and a homemade shooting target.
Digging deeper into Lapinski’s background, authorities discovered he wasn’t even allowed to have guns. He had two felony convictions for violent crimes back in 2005 and was under a restraining order from a 2017 domestic violence case. Both situations legally barred him from owning firearms or ammunition.
But it didn’t stop there. A thorough search of the house revealed an alarming stockpile: multiple guns, including a high-powered AR-15-style rifle, a semi-automatic shotgun, handguns, body armor, smoke grenades, and even what appeared to be homemade gun silencers. One silencer was allegedly made from an automotive oil filter, which wasn’t registered as required by federal law.
The most unsettling discovery? A clipboard with a handwritten list of targets. The list reportedly mentioned Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz by name, along with specific places the writer associated with Jewish and Black communities. These included a synagogue, a Jewish deli, a cemetery, and parks and schools described in racist terms. One note chillingly read, “Stalk Jewish parks.”
Congressman Moskowitz, who recently won re-election, praised law enforcement for handling the case. “No matter our political differences, we all want our families to be safe,” he said in a statement.
Lapinski is now facing serious federal charges for being a felon in possession of firearms and for owning an unregistered suppressor. He’s also being charged at the state level for violating the restraining order that banned him from having weapons.
He’s being held without bail under the custody of U.S. Marshals and will have a hearing on November 27 to determine whether he will remain in jail while awaiting trial.
