Shooting at FRC

A horrible tragedy was averted yesterday, when a brave security guard prevented an unhinged gun man from use his semi to kill an office full of people at the Family Research Council.

About 10:45 a.m., the shooter arrived at the Family Research Council’s brick-and-stone building at 801 G St. NW and walked through the tall glass-and-metal front doors, under an archway chiseled with group’s motto: “Faith, Family, Freedom.” Johnson, the guard, confronted him in the lobby, Lanier said.

The building is not far from the Gallery Place Metro station in one of the busiest areas of the city, thick with restaurants, shops and museums.

In the lobby, the intruder began “making statements” in opposition to the Family Research Council’s social conservatism, a law enforcement official said.

In the struggle that followed, Johnson “did a phenomenal job,” FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire said. She and Lanier said that if the gunman had gotten past the lobby and into the offices, a mass shooting might have occurred.

I generally think the "hate crime" designation is a little silly. The authorities are still determining whether to charge the assailant with a federal crime, "The FBI said it was evaluating evidence to determine whether to charge Corkins with a federal crime, such as attempting a terrorist act. Authorities said the decision will hinge on what the FBI concludes was the assailant’s motive for entering the building with a loaded Sig Sauer semiautomatic."

But yeah, entering an office building with a loaded generally infers that you want to shoot a lot of people. And I don't care what your motivation is--that is so wrong. But if you are going to designate certain heinous crimes as "hate" crimes, then yeah, entering a pro-traditional marriage, socially conservative group with the aim to shoot to kill is a hate crime. Period.