FBI Investigating Domestic Terror Attack At Family Research Council, Gunman In Custody
UPDATE 6:30 p.m. – Floyd Corkins had been volunteering at the DC Center for the LGBT Community for the past six months, the Associated Press reports.
UPDATE4:56 p.m. – The FRC shooting suspect has been identified as Floyd Corkins of Herndon, Virginia, NBC News reports. The alleged shooter was carrying a backpack with Chick-fil-A related items.
The FBI responded to what the agency terms a “domestic terror attack” at the Family Research Council’s headquarters in Washington D.C. A security guard at the conservative agency thwarted the apparent violent intentions of the gunman who entered the building posing as an intern, according to Fox News. The Family Research Council security guard, Leo Johnson, was shot in the arm before he wrestled the gunman to the ground. The FBI now has the unnamed armed suspect in custody.
Family Research Council staffers are heralding Leo Johnson as a hero and credit him with saving the lives of everyone in the building. During a press conference after the shooting, both the FBI and D.C. Police stated Johnson “saved the day” and did a “phenomenal” job, going above and beyond in duties when taking down the gunman.
The gunman, a 28-year-old man from Virginia, reportedly entered the lobby of the agency’s Washington D.C. headquarters before noon today and stated his disagreement with the policy positions of the conservative group. The FBI is not releasing specific details about the suspect’s statements. Once the security guard asked the man to leave, the suspect opened fire. The guard did not lose consciousness after getting shot in the arm and is reportedly in stable condition at a local hospital.
A joint task force comprised of the FBI, ATF, and the DC police are now investigating the Family Research Council shooting. The agency formed in 1983 and is currently under the guidance of Tony Perkins. According to the mission statement published on the Family Research Council website, the organization seeks to champion marriage and family as the foundation of civilization. The council was named as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center based upon the group’s views on gay marriage and the ability of gay men and women to serve openly in the military, the Washington Post reports. The Family Research Council is located in the Chinatown area of Washington D.C. — just blocks from the White House.
Updates on the Family Research Council shooting will be published as they become available.
