White Supremacist Was Planning a Church Shooting Police Say
Benjamin McDowell
Benjamin McDowell   30  pleaded guilty Monday to being a felon in possession of a weapon  according to reports by multiple news outlets.  He  also could be fined $250 000 when  he âs sentenced at a later date.
Authorities first began investigating  McDowell  in December 2016 when  he  threatened a Myrtle Beach synagogue on Facebook. Local officials were already keeping tabs on  him  because  he  made friends with white supremacists groups and got tattoos associated with racist groups while in prison on a felony burglary charge  according to the FBI.
 McDowell  then said  he  wanted a gun and told an undercover FBI agent who offered to get  him  one that  he  planned to attack somewhere in the name of white power and write on the building âin the spirit of Dylann Roof â according to court records. Roof was sentenced to death last year for a racist shooting that killed nine black worshippers at a Charleston  South Carolina  church.
âI seen what Dylann Roof did and in my heart I reckon I got a little bit of hatred â the undercover agent recalled  McDowell  saying.
 McDowell   who couldnât legally own a gun because of the burglary conviction  was arrested after the purchase. Agents said  McDowell  bought the gun â which had the firing pin shaved down so that it would not work â and ammunition for $109  which  he  had borrowed from  his  grandfather.
[TGT] pleaded guilty Monday to being a felon in possession of a weapon  according to reports by multiple news outlets.   [TGT]   also could be fined $250 000 when   [TGT]  âs sentenced at a later date.
Authorities first began investigating   [TGT] in December 2016 when   [TGT]   threatened a Myrtle Beach synagogue on Facebook. Local officials were already keeping tabs on   [TGT]   because   [TGT]   made friends with white supremacists groups and got tattoos associated with racist groups while in prison on a felony burglary charge  according to the FBI.
  [TGT] then said   [TGT]   wanted a gun and told an undercover FBI agent who offered to get  him  one that  he  planned to attack somewhere in the name of white power and write on the building âin the spirit of Dylann Roof â according to court records. Roof was sentenced to death last year for a racist shooting that killed nine black worshippers at a Charleston  South Carolina  church.
âI seen what Dylann Roof did and in my heart I reckon I got a little bit of hatred â the undercover agent recalled   [TGT]   saying.
  [TGT]    who couldnât legally own a gun because of the burglary conviction  was arrested after the purchase. Agents said   [TGT]   bought the gun â which had the firing pin shaved down so that it would not work â and ammunition for $109  which  he  had borrowed from  his  grandfather.