The man accused of shooting a security guard at the headquarters of the conservative Family Research Council (FRC) was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on federal and local charges.
Floyd Lee Corkins, II, of Herndon, Va., was indicted on a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He was also indicted on District of Columbia charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, both of which carry a mandatory-minimum sentence of five years. The assault charge could carry up to 30 years in prison if Corkins is found guilty.
No bias enhancements have been filed against Corkins, but the government has the option of charging him at a later time if it believes there is substantial proof that Corkins was motivated to commit the crime because of political bias.
At Corkins's Aug. 16 arraignment, Magistrate Judge Alan Kay ordered Corkins held without bond, and granted the government's request that Corkins receive a mental evaluation. According to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's calendar, Corkins is scheduled to appear before Kay on Friday, Aug. 24 at 1:45 p.m. for a joint preliminary and detention hearing.
According to charging documents, Corkins entered the offices of the Family Research Council at 801 G Street NW on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 11 a.m. He encountered security guard Leonardo Reno Johnson and made some comment to the effect of ''I don't like your politics.''
According to charging documents, surveillance video shows Corkins pulling a gun out of his backpack and aiming it at Johnson. Corkins then allegedly shot Johnson in the arm. Despite being shot, Johnson managed to wrestle the gun away from Corkins and subdued him.
Johnson was later transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrived on scene and detained Corkins before handing him over to FBI agents for arrest and processing.
Once Corkins was identified as the suspect under arrest, it was revealed he had previously volunteered at the DC LGBT Center, where he worked as a front desk receptionist.
FRC President Tony Perkins later claimed at a news conference that Corkins had been given a ''license'' to fire as a result of the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) labeling of the FRC as a ''hate group'' for their opposition to gay rights and for ''spreading misinformation'' about LGBT people. He also called upon gay rights organizations to condemn SPLC for its ''hate group'' classification.
Other conservative groups with ties to FRC, including the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the American Family Association (AFA) used Corkins's position at the DC Center to decry an alleged cultural war against religion, Christianity and those who are opposed to same-sex marriage.
...more