Accused gunman ripped Family Research Council policies before opening fire, sources say


Published August 16, 2012

FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/16/alleged-gunman-in-family-research-council-shooting-expected-in-court-thursday/?test=latestnews


An FBI affidavit in the investigation of a shooting Wednesday at
the downtown Washington, D.C., offices of the Family Research Council
says the accused gunman uttered a statement to the effect of, "I don't
like your politics," before reaching into a backpack for a handgun and
opening fire.

Floyd Lee Corkins II, of Herndon, Va., 28, is charged with assault
with intent to kill, in addition to federal firearms charges. He is
expected to appear Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia before Magistrate Judge Alan Kay.

Security guard Leo Johnson is being lauded by D.C. police as a hero
for stopping and disarming Corkins before he could get into the
building.

Surveillance video shows Johnson interacting with Corkins before he
allegedly opened fire, striking Johnson in the arm. The security guard
managed to wrestle Corkins to the ground and disarm him before he could
get inside the group's offices.

"The security guard here is a hero, as far as I¹m concerned," D.C.
Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. "He did his job. The person never made
it past the front."

Sources told Fox News that after Johnson disarmed Corkins, the gunman
said: "Don't shoot me, it was not about you, it was what this place
stands for."

Johnson underwent surgery late Wednesday. Tony Perkins, president of
the Family Research Council, visited the hospital and said the surgery
"went well" in a statement to Fox News.

"When I told him his actions were heroic in protecting his
colleagues, he told me that he just reacted in the way he thought anyone
at FRC would have responded," Perkins' statement read. "We are very
grateful for the outpouring of prayers from literally around the world."

Corkins had volunteered recently at a community center for lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender people. Two law enforcement officials said
Corkins was carrying sandwiches from Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain
whose chief executive¹s public opposition to same-sex marriage led to a
heated national cultural debate, including boycotts and events held in
support of the Atlanta-based chain.

Authorities say Corkins was carrying a 9-mm. Sig Sauer handgun that
was purchased and owned legally, said Richard Marianos, special agent in
charge of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives' Washington field office.

Corkins' backpack contained 50 rounds of ammunition and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches, the FBI affidavit said.



The accused gunman's parents also told the FBI that their son held
"strong opinions with respect to those who do not treat homosexuals in a
fair manner," the affidvit said.

Authorities were investigating the attack as a case of domestic
terrorism, although James McJunkin, the head of the FBI¹s Washington
Field Office, said authorities do not yet know the gunman's motive.

"We don't know enough about him or his circumstances to determine
what his connection is to this group [the research council] or his
mental state, or what he was doing or thinking of doing," McJunkin said
Wednesday. "So we're going to try to sort this all out, pull the
evidence together, do all the interviews we can."

Corkins had been volunteering for roughly six months at The DC Center
for the LGBT Community, according to David Mariner, executive director
of the northwest Washington community center. Corkins usually staffed
the center's front desk on Saturdays, and his most recent shift was
about two weeks ago.

"He always struck me as a kind, gentle and unassuming young man,"
Mariner said. "I'm very surprised that he could be involved in something
like this."

Mariner said he did not know Corkins well or have any conversations
with him about the Chick-fil-A controversy or other political issues of
interest to the gay community.

"I really only talked to him about volunteering, so I couldn't say anything about anything else," Mariner said.



The Family Research Council, according to its website, is a
conservative nonprofit organization that seeks to advance "faith, family
and freedom in public policy and public opinion." The group strongly
opposes gay marriage and abortion and maintains a powerful lobbying
presence on those causes, often testifying before Congress. The
organization had also defended Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy for his
remarks opposing gay marriage.

Meanwhile, advocacy groups across the ideological spectrum condemned the violence, with some casting it as a hate crime.



"Today's attack is the clearest sign we've seen that labeling
pro-marriage groups as `hateful' must end," Brian Brown, the president
of the National Organization for Marriage, said in a statement.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Obama, who was
traveling in Iowa Wednesday, was informed of the 10:45 a.m. shooting
shortly after 1 p.m.

"The president expressed his concern for the individual injured in
the shooting and his strong belief that this type of violence has no
place in our society," Carney said.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in a statement that he was appalled.



"There is no place for such violence in our society," he said. "My
prayers go out to the wounded security guard and his family, as well as
all the people at the Family Research Council whose sense of security
has been shattered by today's horrific events."

Authorities later seized Corkins' car at a northern Virginia Metro
station and interviewed neighbors, several of whom spoke highly of his
family.

"They were always so sweet and so nice," said Stephanie Meyer, who
lives nearby Corkins' Virginia home. "They are awesome people. We never
had any issues."

Corkins is not a member of the Air Force, but he may have lived at
Andrews Air Force Base in some other capacity in the past, possibly as a
dependent or family member, according to a U.S. Defense Department
official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was
not authorized to provide personal information.

Amy Biondi and her husband Steve were visiting Washington from Long
Island with their daughter and a friend and tried to ask officers for
help with a parking meter when they were told there was a situation they
had to deal with. The door to the FRC was opened, and an officer could
be heard repeatedly shouting, "Put the gun down, put the gun down."

"Next thing you know there are police officers swarming the area," said Biondi, 45, a massage therapist from St. James, N.Y.



The family didn't get a close look inside, but they said the man that officers were talking to seemed to comply immediately.