An Arizona gun fanatic wanted to “incite a race war” ahead of the presidential election by shooting up a Bad Bunny concert in Atlanta and planting Confederate flags, it has been revealed.
Mark Adams Prieto, 58, of Prescott, was arrested last month while traveling on an interstate in New Mexico, after spending months planning the mass shooting at State Farm Arena with an undercover FBI agent and his informant.
He targeted Atlanta because of its large black population and had planned for the three to open fire in the arena on May 14 and 15 – when Bad Bunny was scheduled to perform – and leave behind Confederate flags while chanting ‘KKK all the way’ and “Whites out here killing, what are we going to do?” according to an affidavit released Tuesday.
Prieto even allegedly told the undercover agent that he wanted to send him a message that “we are going to fight back now, and every white guy will be the enemy throughout the country.”
Mark Adams Prieto, 58, Allegedly Planned to Shoot Up Bad Bunny Concert in Atlanta to ‘Incite a Race War’
FBI agents said they began investigating Prieto in late 2023, after an informant who had spoken with the gun fanatic at previous gun shows noticed that he began making some suspicious and alarming comments, including asking him if he was “ready to kill a group.” of people” and said that he wanted to target “blacks, Jews or Muslims.”
The informant told agents that Prieto believed martial law would be implemented shortly after the 2024 presidential election, and specifically told him he wanted to “incite a race war” before then.
In late January, the informant introduced Prieto to an undercover agent at the Crossroads of the West gun show in his hometown, where the suspect was selling his personal firearms, admitting that he would only accept cash to avoid any interference from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
He then allegedly proceeded to ask the two if they would help him carry out a shooting in Atlanta, lamenting its large black population.
‘The reason I say Atlanta, why, why is Georgia such a fucked up state now?’ Prieto reportedly explained to the undercover agent.
‘When I was growing up, that was one of the most conservative states in the country. Why isn’t it like that now? Because as crime got worse in Los Angeles, St. Louis and all those other cities, all the black people moved out of them and moved to Atlanta.
“That’s why it’s not so good anymore,” he said. “And they’ve seen it there for a couple of years, several years.”
He unknowingly planned the mass shooting with an undercover FBI agent and his informant.
Over the next few months, Prieto would go into more detail about their plans, saying that they should find a place to store the guns in Atlanta before the concert and discussing how they should remove firearm residue from their bodies.
Prieto even allegedly sold two automatic rifles to the undercover agent: an AK-47 at a gun show in Phoenix in late February and an AR-15 the following month, saying it would be “a good weapon to use in the attack.” ‘
He allegedly emphasized that it was important that there be a large death count, telling both the agent and the informant that they should show “no mercy” and warning that they “can’t have any feelings.”
“They’re not real people, as far as I’m concerned, they’re monsters,” Prieto allegedly told the two proposed victims.
Prieto allegedly highlighted the need for a large death toll at the concert
As the concert dates approached, Prieto also told people he thought would be accomplices that he planned to explore the venue in May, after visiting his mother in Florida.
He was then caught on May 14 traveling on a New Mexico interstate with five firearms in his vehicle, according to the affidavit.
A subsequent raid on his Arizona home uncovered more firearms, including an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Under questioning, agents say, Prieto admitted to selling an AR-15 to the FBI agent and talking about an attack at the concert hall “where young people and minorities (would be)” but insisted he was only traveling to Florida to visit his mother. at the time of his arrest.
Prieto now faces federal charges of firearms trafficking, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
He is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transportation back to Arizona. according to NBC News.
If convicted, Prieto could face up to 15 years in prison for each count of firearms trafficking and transferring a firearm for use in a hate crime, as well as another 10 years behind bars for having a gun. unregistered fire.
Additionally, you could be fined up to $250,000 for each charge.