A PALE MALE PLANNED TO SHOOT UP AN ATLANTA RAP CONCERT TO START A “RACE WAR”
An Arizona man has been indicted for plotting and attempting to stage a mass shooting at a Bad Bunny concert in Atlanta
On Tuesday, 58-year-old Mark Adams Prieto was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of firearms trafficking, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm. This comes after a months-long investigation by the FBI that led to his May arrest.
Prieto allegedly devised a plan to target “Blacks and Hispanics” with the hopes of inciting a “race war” before the 2024 presidential election.
Authorities did not confirm which concert Prieto targeted however the dates of his planned attack match the two nights that the Puerto Rican rapper was scheduled to perform at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
According to the complaint, the investigation into Prieto began in October after a confidential source informed FBI agents that Prieto had expressed his desire to “incite a race war” ahead of the election. The source, who had previously crossed paths with Prieto at several Arizona gun shows, said that he began making suspicious comments, including about “advocating for a mass shooting” that would specifically target Black people.
In late 2023, Prieto allegedly indicated an interest in recruiting others to assist him in a mass shooting and asked the source if they were “ready to kill a bunch of people.” The FBI subsequently began to surveil Prieto, with the source eventually introducing an undercover FBI agent as an associate.
On Jan. 21, Prieto told the source and undercover agent that he wanted them to help him carry out a mass shooting at an undetermined rap concert, the complaint states. Prieto — who traded firearms from his personal collection using cash-only deals to avoid getting flagged by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives — also discussed the types of weapons they would use for the attack and made travel plans.
On March 23, at another Arizona gun show, Prieto confirmed to the undercover agent that he was still planning the shooting, citing a pair of concert dates, May 14 and 15, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The following day, he sold an AR-15 to the undercover agent for $1,000, which he advised him to use for the attack.
Prieto was arrested on a New Mexico interstate on May 14. While he admitted to knowing the undercover agent and the confidential source, and to having discussed conducting an attack with them, he claimed that he was on a trip to visit his mother and told agents that he did not intend to move forward with the attack. Per the complaint, Prieto also admitted to having five firearms in his vehicle and more at his home at the time of his arrest.
