DOJ: Arizona man was planning racially motivated mass shooting in Georgia
PHOENIX - A now-arrested Arizona man was plotting a racially motivated mass shooting in Georgia to incite a race war ahead of the upcoming election, the federal authorities say.
The Department of Justice says 58-year-old Mark Prieto was planning a mass shooting and wanted to recruit others with racist beliefs.
Court records allege Prieto revealed his plan to FBI informants, which involved shooting up a rap concert in Atlanta, Georgia because he believed there would be more Black people there.
Prieto wanted to carry out his plan sometime before the election.
He's charged with firearms trafficking for use in a hate crime, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
A news release from the DOJ reads, "The indictment alleges that, between January 2024 and May 2024, Prieto had discussions with two individuals working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to devise a plan to commit a mass shooting of African Americans and other minorities to incite a race war prior to the 2024 United States Presidential Election."