An Arizona man was charged with federal gun offenses after he reportedly planned an assault on Black people at a concert in Atlanta
A federal grand jury in Arizona this week indicted a man on multiple firearms charges. The US Justice Department claimed the man was plotting a mass shooting at a concert in Atlanta in May that would target Black people and other minorities with the intention of sparking a racial conflict ahead of the next presidential election.
In a news statement on Tuesday, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona stated that Mark Prieto, 58, was found in possession of seven firearms on May 14, while traveling through New Mexico on his way east from Arizona. According to the release, he is accused of trafficking in guns, transferring a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possessing an unlicensed handgun.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Prieto’s indictment claims that he talked about his plans with two individuals between January and May who he thought “shared his racist beliefs,” not realizing that they were cooperating with the FBI. Within a month, he sold one of those people an AK-style rifle and an AR-style rifle while being watched by the FBI, according to the release.
A statement of probable cause appended to the federal complaint states that Prieto was targeting a performance that was set to take place at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta on May 14 and May 15. A calendar for the location indicates Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny was scheduled to perform there on those dates, though it does not state which event Prieto allegedly targeted.
Following his apprehension, Prieto refuted his plans to travel to Atlanta; nevertheless, he acknowledged being acquainted with the two individuals collaborating with the FBI and informed the agents that he had no desire to execute the assault, according to the federal complaint. The public defender defending Prieto in New Mexico has been contacted by CNN for a response.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, there is a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for both the accusations of trafficking in guns and transferring a firearm for use in a hate crime, if found guilty. A conviction for unlicensed firearm possession entails a $250,000 fine in addition to a maximum 10-year term.
A months-long undercover operation is described in the indictment
According to the complaint, Prieto confided in two people: an undercover FBI agent and a confidential source who had met with Prieto more than a dozen times at various gun shows over the previous three years. According to the lawsuit, that individual informed the FBI in late 2023 that Prieto had made remarks endorsing a mass shooting that would target “blacks, Jews, or Muslims.”
According to the complaint, Prieto planned to carry out the shooting before the election in November because he thought martial law would be imposed afterward, making the attack impossible.
According to the complaint, Prieto met with the undercover agent and the source at four separate gun shows in the months of January through May. At the first, according to the complaint, Prieto revealed his intentions to carry out a shooting in Atlanta, specifically at a rap performance, where he thought there would be a large number of Black individuals.
According to the complaint, Prieto claimed he was drawn to Georgia because of what he saw as the state’s changing political landscape. He blamed this on the state’s Black population, which he derogatorily mentioned.
According to the lawsuit, over the course of the following few months, Prieto allegedly gave the gang more and more information regarding his attack, including the weapons and ammunition types they were to use as well as what they were to dress. Before the incident, he allegedly stated that he wanted to go to Atlanta and set up weapon caches.
According to the complaint, Prieto expressed his desire to put Confederate flags at the scene and scream things like “whities out here killing” and “KKK all the way” in order to ensure that the attack was perceived as having a racist motivation. According to the complaint, he “also emphasized that a high body count was the most important thing.”
According to the complaint, Prieto informed the source at the fifth gun show in early May that he was leaving for Atlanta to do reconnaissance and that they would cross paths again the weekend of June 1.
Prieto told investigators he was headed to Florida to visit his mother, not Atlanta, after being read his Miranda rights on May 14, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, he acknowledged knowing the undercover agent and the confidential source and that he had discussed an attack at a “rock” performance, but he assured agents that he had no plans to carry out the attack.