Suspected FRC Shooter Arraigned, Held Without Bond
DC Center volunteer accused of shooting guard at conservative organization's headquarters faces federal and local charges, will receive mental evaluation
Photo by JD Uy
A Virginia man who volunteered at The DC Center, Washington’s LGBT community center, faces federal and local charges after allegedly shooting a security guard at the headquarters of the Family Research Council, a conservative political organization.
The suspected shooter, Floyd Lee Corkins II, of Herndon, Va., was arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition and a District of Columbia charge of assault with intent to kill while armed.
If found guilty, Floyd could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for the federal charge and up to 30 years for the assault charge. The assault charge also carries a mandatory-minimum sentence of five years, according to a press release from Bill Miller, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Magistrate Judge Alan Kay ordered Corkins held without bond as he awaits trial, and granted the government’s request that Corkins receive a mental evaluation.
Corkins has been scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in U.S. District Court on Friday, Aug. 24.
According to charging documents, Corkins entered the offices of the Family Research Council at 801 G St. NW on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 11 a.m. He encountered security guard Leonardo Reno Johnson and made a comment to the effect of ”I don’t like your politics.” Surveillance video, those documents report, shows Corkins pulling a gun out of his backpack and aiming it at Johnson, allegedly shooting Johnson in the arm. Despite being shot, Johnson apparently managed to wrestle the gun away from Corkins and subdued him.
Johnson was later transported to a local hospital, where he remains in stable condition. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrived on the scene and detained Corkins before handing him over to FBI agents for arrest and processing.
David Mariner, director of The DC Center, told the Associated Press that Corkins’s most recent shift as a front-desk receptionist at the center was two weeks ago. Mariner said Corkins came across as ”kind, gentle and unassuming,” and expressed surprise that he might be involved in such a shooting.
”I was shocked to hear that someone who has volunteered with The DC Center could be the cause of such a tragic act of violence,” Mariner said in a statement released Thursday morning. ”No matter what the circumstances, we condemn such violence in the strongest terms possible. We hope for a full and speedy recovery for the victim and our thoughts are with him and his family.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.