NewsArmed assailant detained in Atlanta: Bad Bunny concert tragedy averted

Armed assailant detained in Atlanta: Bad Bunny concert tragedy averted

Attacker at Bad Bunny's concert. He wanted to start a "race war"
Attacker at Bad Bunny's concert. He wanted to start a "race war"
Images source: © Department of Justice

14 June 2024 22:27

A tragedy was narrowly averted during rapper Bad Bunny's concert in Atlanta. An assailant armed with a firearm was detained just in time, and charges have been brought against him.

The USA is not one of the safest countries in the world. Many tourists travelling to America may be concerned not only about the crime rate but also about the right to possess firearms, which is valid in many states. Shootings in stores, schools, shopping malls, or concerts - each reported incident sends chills of terror through the public.

The FBI recently thwarted a meticulously planned massacre that was to take place during the concert of Puerto Rican rapper and actor Bad Bunny. 58-year-old Mark Adams Prieto from Arizona planned to lead a mass shooting and "start a race war" right before the presidential elections in the USA.

He wanted to start a race war. The FBI stopped him

An FBI investigation proved that the man intended to orchestrate a mass shooting and kill "as many Black people as possible". He had semi-automatic rifles with him, which he purchased in a way that prevented tracking by firearm regulatory agencies. On Tuesday, 11 June, Mark Adams Prieto was indicted.

The man chose Atlanta and the Bad Bunny concert due to racial prejudices.

"The reason I say Atlanta. Why, why is Georgia such a [expletive]-up state now? When I was a kid that was one of the most conservative states in the country. Why is it not now? Because as the crime got worse in LA, St. Louis, and all these other cities, all the [expletives] moved out of those (places) and moved to Atlanta. That’s why it isn’t so great anymore. And they’ve been there for a couple, several years," he said, according to a source quoted by the "New York Post".

Undercover agents thwarted the racist attack. The assailant faces severe punishment

Special services were watching the man. Prieto recruited willing participants and encouraged them to join him in carrying out a massive attack on Black people. Ultimately, the attacker was apprehended. He was arrested on 14 May and charged with several offences, including possession and trafficking of unregistered firearms, transferring firearms to third parties, and planning a hate crime. He faces up to 40 years in prison.

Attacker at Bad Bunny's concert. Wanted to start a "race war"
Attacker at Bad Bunny's concert. Wanted to start a "race war"© Department of Justice
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