Floyd Corkins, the volunteer at a gay-rights organization who attempted to commit mass murder at the Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC) because of FRC’s stance on social and religious issues, has been indicted on charges of domestic terrorism. It is the first such indictment ever handed down by a grand jury in the nation’s capital.
On Aug. 15, Corkins entered FRC’s building in Washington, D.C. with a hidden handgun, fifty rounds of ammunition, and fifteen Chick-fil-A sandwiches. When confronted by building manager Leo Johnson, Corkins revealed his gun and started shooting, hitting Johnson. Though seriously wounded, Johnson managed to wrest the gun away from Corkins and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, thwarting an attempted mass shooting. Before police arrived, Corkins pleaded for mercy, explaining that he launched the attack because of FRC’s beliefs.
As the Federal Bureau of Investigation has continued to gather evidence regarding the attack, a grand jury in Washington, D.C., handed down a superseding indictment adding new felony charges to the case. The indictment now reads in part that Corkins: “while armed with a firearm… attempted murder… with the intent to intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population of the District of Columbia and the United States.”
Tony Perkins, president of FRC, reacted by saying that the terrorism indictment:
…makes clear that acts of violence designed to intimidate and silence those who support natural marriage and traditional morality violate the law and undermine the security and stability of our form of government.
We again call upon organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center to stop its reckless practice of labeling [as “hate groups”] organizations that oppose their promotion of homosexuality. The SPLC’s “hate” labeling of Christian organizations is fostering a dangerous and deadly environment of hostility, and it needs to stop.
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