The armed man who walked into the Washington headquarters of the Family Research Council and reportedly shot a security guard Wednesday morning has been identified as Floyd Corkins, 28, of Virginia, NBC News reports.
Corkins was taken into custody by the FBI following the shooting and was being interviewed.
Local and federal investigators work to gather evidence after a security guard was shot in the arm at the headquarters of the Family Research Council August 15, 2012 in Washington, DC. The shooter is in FBI custody and has not yet been charged, authorities said. (Credit: Getty Images)
“We don’t know enough yet about him … or mentally what he’s thinking,” said James McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office.
The guard, who was an employee of the FRC, was taken to a hospital in stable condition after being shot.
“Our first concern is with our colleague who was shot today,” the group’s president, Tony Perkins, said in a statement.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in a statement that he was appalled by the shooting. “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.”
The Family Research Council advocates conservative positions on social issues and strongly opposes gay marriage and abortion. Fox News reports that Corkins posed as an intern and was carrying a Chick-fil-A bag with him during the attack.
Sources told Fox News that after guard took away his gun, the suspect said, “Don’t shoot me, it was not about you, it was what this place stands for.”
Perkins was an outspoken defender of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s public stand against same-sex marriage, which made the fast-food chain a flashpoint in the nation’s culture wars. The Cathy family foundation has funded the Family Research Council.
“He’s taking a bold stand,” Perkins said after Cathy’s comments were reported. “Chick-fil-A is a Bible-based, Christian-based business who treats their employees well. They have been attacked in the past about their stand. But they refuse to budge on this matter, and I commend them for what they are doing.”
More from Fox News:
UPDATE: The Associated Press has learned that Corkins had been volunteering at a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people before his attack.
A law enforcement official has identified the suspect arrested in Wednesday’s shooting as Floyd Corkins II of Herndon, Va. Investigators were interviewing his neighbors.
Another official says the shooter made a negative reference about the work of the Family Research Council before opening fire. The officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
David Mariner is executive director of The DC Center for the LGBT Community. He says Corkins had been volunteering at the center for about the past 6 months. Mariner describes Corkins as “kind, gentle and unassuming.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (281)
tarm778
Aug. 16, 2012 at 9:17pmIf you judge the SPLC by their own standards, they are guilty as sin of everything they claim to fight against.
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charjan
Aug. 16, 2012 at 5:11pmWas it a hate crime that resulted in the savage beating of the man walking to his house by several 13/14 year old Afro American kids? Did you read the police report concerning their interview with the kids that attacked the man? Shocking!
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jimbo_from_suwanee
Aug. 16, 2012 at 3:45pm>>First – Liberal college students throw pies and liberals laugh, “No big deal!”
>> Don’t forget – Occupiers threading violence and liberals laugh, “No big deal”
>>Next – Liberal NBBP folks turn away white votes from polls with clubs and liberals laugh, “No big deal!”
>>Followed by – A liberal woman walks into a store and slaps the store owner for having a “I built this Myself” Sign outside his business and liberals laugh, “No big deal!”
>>Liberal NBBP folks threaten violence against whites, republicans, and conservatives, and liberals laugh, “No big deal!”
>> A man shots people at the Washington headquarters of the Family Research Council and liberals say, “It was the guns! It was the hate from the conservatives!”
DOJ, are you through with the smoke break already?
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blackbean
Aug. 16, 2012 at 1:08pmWhere’s the public outrage for this incident by the media? You won’t see this story in the news very long and it will not be linked to any liberal/progressive movement either. You can bet it would be talked about for weeks on end if a tea party connection was made!
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jimbo_from_suwanee
Aug. 16, 2012 at 3:47pmLiberals believe the only good conservative is a dead one I suppose. At least that is how they and the DOJ act in these case.
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