Two years ago, Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz was one phone call away from potentially losing his life.
On Oct. 31, 2024, officers with the Margate Police Department in Florida responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired in a nearby neighborhood. The suspect, John Kevin Lapinski Jr., was found to have a wide array of ballistic gear, smoke grenades and firearms in his home, along with a handwritten list of individuals he planned to target.
Among those listed was Rep. Moskowitz, whom Lapinski Jr. allegedly intended to attack as part of a broader plan targeting Black and Jewish members of the community.
In a recent interview with Roll Call, Moskowitz shared new details about the incident and spoke about the rise of antisemitism in the United States and the increasing security risks lawmakers face today.
"Someone made a call and saved my life," Moskowitz said in an interview to Roll Call. "We got lucky."
Once law enforcement searched Lapinski's home, they discovered hand-drawn operational maps, including street names and locations, and the list of targets extended to bar mitzvah halls, a synagogue, a Jewish sub shop, a Jewish cemetery, Moskowitz himself, and even an entry to "stalk Jewish parks."
The search was triggered after Lapinski was linked to a shooting at a Jewish woman's home two months earlier. Though no one was injured and Lapinski's attorney called the accusations speculative, prosecutors tied him to the incident through a note found at his home, which included the make, model, and license plate number of the woman's vehicle.
"No one knew he existed. He was a complete ghost," Moskowitz said. "And that was the scary part for myself and my family, to one day get a call out of the blue from the Margate Police Department."
In August 2025, Lapinski was sentenced to 25 years in prison for planning targeted attacks on Black and Jewish people. But Moskowitz said the experience has changed his and his family's lives permanently.
When the story broke nationally in 2024, Moskowitz confessed he initially didn't tell his oldest son, although the boy found out from friends.
"He came home one day and was like, 'Dad, did someone try to kill you?'" Moskowitz recalled. "At that point I didn't want to lie, but I spared him the details."
Since then, Moskowitz said, his children live with a police presence outside their home every day.
Moskowitz himself avoids parades and outdoor staged events, saying, "It's not worth it. I'd rather lose my election."
Other precautions taken by the congressman include private security for public outings to restaurants, sporting events, or entertainment venues. At indoor events, attendees now go through metal detectors, a measure he did not require before learning about Lapinski's intentions.
Since the incident, Moskowitz has raised awareness about antisemitism in the U.S., including testimony at Capitol Hill hearings such as a House Judiciary subcommittee session last summer that focused on antisemitic violence.
"In any of his writings that they discovered, he wasn't angry about my policy positions or votes. It was just the fact that I am Jewish and that I support Israel," Moskowitz said.
He noted that hate toward Jewish people has become more frequent both online and in person, and stressed that opposing the Israeli government does not justify antisemitism.
"Instead of criticizing Netanyahu or Israel, they're targeting Jews. The language shifted from Israel to Jews very quickly," he said, calling it a "blurring of the line."
Moskowitz said Speaker Mike Johnson has taken steps to improve member security in Congress but emphasized that more action is needed to protect lawmakers, a concern shared across party lines.
"No matter the disagreements or political differences, nobody wants harm to come to each other or our families," he said. "Nobody wants that to happen."
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