A plot to attack a mosque and an apartment complex after the election has been foiled. In a statement issued by Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas Tom Beal, it was revealed that the three suspects were part of a militia.
The trio composed of Curtis Wayne Allen, 49, Patrick Eugene Stein, 47, and 49-year-old Gavin Wayne Wright were plotting to set off bombs. The three men were targeting a building in Garden City where many Somali immigrants live.
That same building has an apartment that was transformed into a mosque where about 100 Muslims come to pray. The attack was scheduled for November 9, the day after either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump becomes the new president of the United States.
According to Beal, the men are part of a militia group known as the Crusaders, and they are anti-government, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigrant. The would-be domestic terrorists said they were inspired by the horrific Florida massacre where 49 people were killed while partying at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
The trio also had lengthy talks about the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma by Timothy McVeigh in 1995. The men were arrested after an 8-month investigation by local authorities and the FBI. According to the authorities, the men had purchased a significant amount of weapons and ammunition.
Beall said the men “planned to park vehicles full of explosives at all four corners of the Garden City apartment complex.” They wrote a manifesto explaining why they would have carried out the mass murder. The men said they wanted to “wake people up.”
In a recorded telephone conversation, Stein could be heard saying “the only way this country’s ever going to get turned around is it will be a bloodbath.” The Garden City Mayor and Police Chief had the following to say on the matter:
“Our community is forever grateful for the protection provided to us every day, but especially today in learning of the thwarted attack on our community. I’m shocked, but at the same time extremely proud of and grateful for the efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement. Today should also serve as a reminder that vigilance should be a common practice by all citizens. ‘See something, say something’ is a cause we should champion each day even in a rural community like Garden City. I would encourage anyone that sees something suspicious to call 911.”
Mayor Chris Law said:
“The GCPD was aware of the investigation, and has cooperated with the FBI since the onset. We have been assured that all individuals involved are in custody, and that the safety of the community was ensured throughout the investigation. All inquiries about the investigation, arrest, and prosecution are referred to the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI.”
The hashtag #KansasPlot is trending, and some of the tweets are eye-popping:
Damn funny the FBI can stop Americans from attacking muslims but cannot stop muslims from attacking Americans! #KansasPlot
— Ray (@Rayat618) October 15, 2016
Say it with me.
Radical. Christian. Terrorism. #KansasPlot
— No Justice No Peace (@drumbeats4peace) October 15, 2016
Had the three men involved with the #KansasPlot not been white they would have been called terrorists. Instead they're called "militia".
— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) October 15, 2016