A man pleaded guilty to plotting a mass shooting because of his ‘fanatical hatred for gay people’.
Mack Davis, 22, of Owosso, Michigan, spent nearly a year planning his crime while hoarding weapons – even etching ‘f***ot killer’ on a knife.
Davis researched and wrote about dozens of mass killers online and in his private journal from last July to June, officials said.
His targets were a political party headquarters ‘filled with far-left liberal f***ot scum’, Davis said on social media, and a ‘f***ot bar’ nearby.
The posts, made between April and June, did not specify which political party the headquarters belonged to or whether the nearby bar is an LGBTQ+ bar.
He drafted a list of weapons he owned and weapons he intended to acquire to kill LGBTQ+ people with, justice officials said.
By June, he owned two firearms, magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow and arrows, assorted bomb-making parts, smoke grenades, tactical gear and several knives.
That same month, Davis spray-painted the word ‘f*g’ on his gay neighbour’s car.
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Days later, he test-fired one of his guns by shooting 60 bullets at his neighbour’s properties, including the car he had vandalised before.
Police arrested him shortly after.
Davis faces life behind bars as he pleaded guilty to a hate crime that involves an attempt to kill. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke added: ‘This kind of vile and heinous hate-fueled violence, intended to target innocent people based on their sexual orientation, runs contrary to our values as Americans.
‘Bias-motivated crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community will not be tolerated.’
Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan said Davis’ plot was ‘chilling’.
‘He intended to commit mass shootings at two locations – destroying countless lives and devastating our community – all because of his fanatical hatred for gay people,’ she added.
Cheyvoryea Gibson, head of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said: ‘This case serves as a stark reminder that there is no tolerance for hate-fuelled violence.’
Davis’ public defender said his client ‘did not intentionally harm anyone despite having multiple opportunities to do so’.
Bryan Sherer of the Federal Defender Office in Flint told The Associated Press: ‘The information that was found by the police was found in Mr. Davis’ private journal inside his bedroom.
‘Mr Davis was brought to the attention of police only after purposefully shooting into multiple unoccupied vehicles. He does not have a history of violent behaviour toward others prior to being charged in this case with an attempted hate crime.’
There were 656 mass shootings in the US last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
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