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Arizona Man Targeted Atlanta Rap Concert to Kill Black People; Arrested after Plan Reveal Killings to Impose Martial Law

Arizona Man Targeted Atlanta Rap Concert to Kill Black People; Arrested after Plan Reveal Killings to Impose Martial Law

Federal authorities have revealed that an individual from Arizona had reportedly devised a disturbing plan to carry out a mass shooting at a concert in Atlanta in May. The alleged motive behind this sinister plot was to provoke a race war, just prior to the presidential election.

A federal grand jury has indicted Mark Adams Prieto, 58, on multiple charges including firearms trafficking, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.

Prieto’s arrest in May came after a thorough five-month investigation conducted by the FBI. During the investigation, the FBI discovered that Prieto had engaged in discussions with two other individuals to plan a mass shooting targeting African Americans and other minorities, with the intention of inciting a race war before the 2024 United States Presidential Election.

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An investigation was initiated in October after FBI Phoenix received a tip from a source regarding an individual, later identified as Prieto, who allegedly expressed a desire to incite a race war, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

Arizona Man Targeted Atlanta Rap Concert to Kill Black People; Arrested after Plan Reveal Killings to Impose Martial Law (2)
Credit: Getty Images

According to an undisclosed source, authorities claim to have had multiple conversations with Prieto at different gun shows over a span of three years, totaling more than 15 interactions. Prieto supposedly started making concerning and unsettling remarks as their discussions took a more political turn. According to the affidavit, Prieto expressed support for a potential mass shooting and had a specific focus on targeting individuals from certain racial and religious backgrounds.

In late 2023, Prieto reportedly inquired whether the source was prepared to cause harm to a number of individuals. He raised a question that aligned with Prieto’s belief that there might be a possibility of martial law being implemented after the 2024 election, and that a mass shooting could potentially happen before that.

He operated as a vendor at gun shows in Prescott, Ariz., and engaged in the exchange of firearms from his personal collection. According to the arrest affidavit, he preferred to only engage in cash deals or trades to avoid detection by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. It was reportedly later confirmed through observation with assistance from the source. Prieto was under FBI surveillance for a period of three months.

According to the affidavit, Prieto allegedly sought assistance from a source and an undercover FBI agent to carry out a mass shooting targeting African Americans at a rap concert in Atlanta, after surveillance began on Jan. 21 in Phoenix.

Prieto expressed his intention to focus on a rap concert due to the anticipated presence of a significant number of African Americans, as stated in the affidavit. According to reports, he purportedly expressed his intention to leave Confederate flags at the scene of the shooting, emphasizing a desire to demonstrate a complete lack of mercy or leniency.

According to the affidavit, he expressed his desire to voice his concerns about incidents involving violence and racism.

According to the affidavit, he informed both the source and undercover agent that the attack was planned to coincide with Super Tuesday (March 5, 2024) in order to familiarize them with the election candidates. In addition, he shared the details of the weapons he intended to use and proposed that the group consider traveling to Atlanta to store the weapons as part of the plan.

Prieto emphasized to both individuals that the top priority was achieving a significant number of casualties, according to the affidavit.

Arizona Man Targeted Atlanta Rap Concert to Kill Black People; Arrested after Plan Reveal Killings to Impose Martial Law (1)
Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona

In February, Prieto, who was being monitored, reportedly attended a gun show in Phoenix and inquired about the plans for the mass shooting with the source and undercover agent. On the next day, he reportedly made a sale of a firearm to an undercover agent for $2,000.

In the subsequent month, specifically on March 23, Prieto expressed his intention to proceed with the shooting while they were both present at a gun show in Prescott Valley, Ariz., according to the undercover agent. According to the affidavit, he suggested that they should schedule it for a date before the election, such as during the rap concert on May 14 and May 15, or possibly in June or July. Although the authorities did not disclose the specific concert that Prieto intended to target, it is worth noting that the dates he proposed aligned with the two nights of Bad Bunny’s performance.

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According to the affidavit, Prieto is accused of selling an AR-15 rifle to an undercover agent on March 24 for $1,000 and instructing the agent to use it for an undisclosed purpose.

In the following month, at another Prescott Valley gun show, the undercover agent asked about the status of the planned attack. According to the affidavit, Prieto expressed a desire to postpone it to a later date.

Prieto was apprehended on a New Mexico interstate on May 14. Upon his arrest, he reportedly acknowledged his familiarity with both the source and the undercover agent, and engaged in discussions regarding the planning of a mass shooting in Atlanta. Prieto acknowledged selling an AR-15 to the undercover agent and mentioned that the weapon would be suitable for the shooting, according to the affidavit.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was apprehended with seven firearms in his vehicle and subsequently placed under federal custody. Following the arrest, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his residence and discovered more firearms, including an unregistered short-barreled rifle, as stated in the press release.

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