Floyd Lee Corkins II, a 28-year-old man from Herndon, Va., walked into the Family Research Council headquarters in Washington D.C., and shot a security guard on Wednesday, August 15, reports CNN.
The security guard, Leo Johnson, was shot in the arm as he prevented Corkins from entering the building. He was reported to be in stable condition and was called a hero by police.
The Family Research Council is known for its opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion, and Corkins allegedly told the guard something to the effect of, “I don’t like your politics,” before he shot.
Slate reported yesterday that the FBI is still investigating the shooter’s intentions as a possible instance of “domestic terrorism.”
To make the event even stranger, along with a 9mm pistol, two magazines, and 50 rounds of ammunition, Corkins also held a bag with 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches when he entered the building.
Organizations and individuals across the board have condemned Corkins actions. He was a volunteer at the DC Center for the LGBT community, and David Mariner, executive director of the organization, said he was “shocked to hear that someone who has volunteered with the DC Center could be the cause of such a tragic act of violence. No matter the circumstances, we condemn such violence in the strongest terms possible.” Other LGBT groups released a joint statement that was posted on the Human Rights Campaign website that again condemned the shooter’s actions and wished the security guard a “swift recovery.”
The Atlantic Wire reported that Family Research Council president Tony Perkins blamed the Southern Poverty Law Center, which labeled FRC a hate group, for giving the shooter a “license” to attack. I personally feel like this is a really strange angle to take, especially when one considers the laws in some states of this country essentially give people a “license” to attack, oppress and belittle members of the LGBT community. It also seems that now would be an appropriate time to finally seriously discuss gun control laws. What Corkins did was reprehensible and everyone seems to agree with that, but to paint one man’s actions as the result of “reckless rhetoric” against an organization that actively seeks to oppress an entire community seems to be missing the point.
Photo: fox.com
