Pair Arrested In Plot To Kill Blacks
Two self-professed skinheads are being held in Tennessee on federal charges that they were planning to rob a gun store and use the firearms to kill dozens of African-American students, a nationwide crime spree they hoped would end with the assassination of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
Daniel Cowart, 20 years old, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Ark., were arrested last week and charged with illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun, conspiracy to rob a federal firearms licensee and making threats against a presidential candidate. Attorneys for the two men couldn't be reached.
The complaint, filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Brian Weaks, said the men told the agent they met through the Internet a month ago and began discussing a 'killing spree' that would target a predominantly African-American school. Their goal was to kill scores of people, with specific plans to behead 14 of them. 'They further stated that their final act of violence would be to attempt to kill/assassinate' Sen. Obama, the complaint said.
The complaint said the two planned to take guns from a store in Jackson, Tenn., and one of the men had a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun.
The men were initially taken into custody by the Crockett County Sheriff's Office as they drove around in a vehicle covered with racially offensive words and symbols. Darrin Blackford, a spokesman for Secret Service, said the agency was contacted after the men repeated statements about their plan to federal agents investigating the case. |
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