Arizona man accused by feds of planning mass shooting in Atlanta wanted to start a ‘race war’ – WSB-TV Channel 2

An affidavit submitted to the court by members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Phoenix, Arizona, details how the investigation into Prieto began in October 2023.

According to the affidavit, a reliable source reported that a man later identified as Prieto “expressed a desire to incite a race war ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.”

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The affidavit says the source told FBI agents they spoke to Prieto at various gun shows over three years, possibly including during political conversations.

Over the past year, Prieto’s comments have become “suspicious and alarming,” according to the affidavit, “including advocating for a mass shooting and specifically targeting ‘blacks, Jews or Muslims.’

The source told FBI agents that “Prieto believes martial law will be implemented shortly after the 2024 election and that a mass shooting is expected to occur before martial law is implemented,” and asked the source in late 2023 if they were “ready to kill.” a group of people.”

The FBI said in the affidavit that this showed Prieto’s desire to recruit people to help him carry out an attack.

The investigation by federal agents revealed that Prieto worked as a firearms salesman in Prescott, Arizona, where he sold numerous firearms from his personal collection. The source told the FBI that Prieto also likes to make “off-the-book” cash or barter transactions “to avoid possible problems or interactions with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” .

In late 2023, agents contacted the person running the Arizona-based Crossroads of the West gun show where Prieto was a salesman, who confirmed his status there, matching a description given to agents by their source confidential.

The FBI placed Prieto under surveillance from January to March. At a gun show in mid-January, undercover agents met with Prieto and their confidential source.

While Prieto “only made small talk” with the source and undercover agents on the first day of the gun show, the next day Prieto talked about his plans to attack, the affidavit says .

“Prieto disclosed his plans to commit violent crimes against African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically,” Prieto told the source and undercover agents that he wanted their help in carrying out a mass shooting at a yet-to-be-determined rap concert in the city, according to court documents.

According to court documents, that’s when Prieto also explained why he wanted to carry out the proposed attack in Atlanta, saying:

“The reason I say Atlanta. Why, why is Georgia such a boom state today? When I was growing up, it was one of the most conservative states in the country. Why not now ? Because as crime got worse in Los Angeles and St. Louis and all these other cities, all the (expletive) people left those (places) and moved to Atlanta. That’s why it’s not so great anymore. And they’ve been there for a few years, several years.

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He also said he wanted to showcase the proposed attack at a rap concert because “there would be a high concentration of African Americans” at the event.

Part of the plan included leaving the Confederate flags to send a message “that we will fight back now and that every white person will be the enemy across the country,” according to the affidavit.

Prieto also told the confidential source and the undercover agents that he would show “no mercy, no quarter,” telling them they could “have no feelings, they’re not people.” They’re monsters as far as I’m concerned.

While under surveillance in February, the FBI observed Prieto going to a gun show in Phoenix, Arizona. There, he was seen entering the gun show with two rifles and heading towards the Confidential Source vendor’s booth. When he arrived at the booth, he “immediately” asked if the source and undercover agent still planned to participate in his attack, the affidavit states.

On several occasions, the affidavit notes, Prieto made it clear the attack was racially motivated and that he wanted it to be explicitly “not a gang-related thing,” saying he planned to yell “KKK until at the end”, among other slogans. and emphasizing that having a high casualty count was the most important part of his plan, according to court documents.

In February, he sold a gun to the undercover agent for $2,000. Later, in March, undercover agents spoke to Prieto at his salesman’s table at a gun show, where he told them he still planned to carry out the attack in Atlanta, claiming that he they waited until after the presidential election, “they could have everything in hand”. where you can’t even drive, you will be arrested,” the documents state.

He then told undercover agents that the targeted event would likely be a rap concert planned at the State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta on May 14-15. Later plans involved pushing the attack back to June, according to the USDOJ.

While traveling to Florida to visit his mother, USDOJ said agents stopped Prieto on Interstate 40 in mid-May.

“Prieto was stopped by law enforcement driving east from Arizona through New Mexico along Interstate 40. Prieto was in possession of seven firearms and was placed in federal custody. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at his Prescott home. Law enforcement found additional firearms in his residence, including an unregistered short-barreled shotgun,” the USDOJ said in a statement.

Now indicted, Prieto faces charges of firearm trafficking, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Justice officials said each conviction for gun trafficking and transfer of firearms for a hate crime carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for possessing an unregistered firearm carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or both. Separately, each charge could also result in a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

Being convicted of possessing an unregistered firearm carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

A trial date for Prieto has not yet been set.

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