Herndon Man's Plan for Mass Shooting Stopped

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 45 years in prison for a Herndon man who attempted a mass shooting at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. last August.

Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, entered the building just before 11 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2012, armed with a gun.

Corkins allegedly pointed the gun at a security guard in the lobby, who then tackled him. Corkins shot the security guard in the arm during a struggle, but, though injured, the guard eventually managed to wrestle the gun away from Corkins and subdue him until the D.C. police arrived.

Many are calling the security guard, Leonardo Johnson, a hero. Johnson still requires treatment for his gunshot wound.

According to the Washington Examiner, Corkins told authorities after he was taken into custody that he had planned "to shoot as many people as possible, and smear Chick-fil-a sandwiches into their faces."

Corkins told authorities he wanted to "send a message" to the employees of the Family Research Council because they oppose gay marriage. Corkins' tie-in to Chick-fil-a stems from the fact that the company's president had, not long before this incident, spoken out publicly against gay marriage.

The executive director of the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community, David Mariner, told WUSA back in August that Corkins had been volunteering for them for about six months, calling him "kind, gentle and unassuming." 

According to its mission statement, the Family Research Council (FRC) "champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. FRC shapes public debate and formulates public policy that values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family. Believing that God is the author of life, liberty, and the family, FRC promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society."

The Examiner reports that Corkins had "methodically" planned out his shooting spree, purchasing a gun a week before the incident, and receiving firearms training just the night before.

Prosecutors say they are pursuing a 45-year sentence for Corkins, who pleaded guilty in February to three charges, including committing an act of terrorism while armed. He is scheduled to be sentenced in D.C. federal court on April 29.

However, the Examiner reports that Corkins' defenders have asked a federal judge to postpone that sentencing until they can weigh in, arguing that they have not yet received a full mental health history on Corkins, which they say should be a factor in determining his sentencing. Corkins' defenders say he was "receiving treatment" at the time he planned the shooting.

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