Corkins Status Hearing Set for Late October
Hearing for suspect in Family Research Council shooting scheduled for end of the month
Floyd Lee Corkins II, the Herndon, Va., man accused of shooting a security guard at the D.C. headquarters of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council (FRC), was due in U.S. District Court this morning in the absence of a scheduled status hearing date. But that date has now been set, a spokeswoman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia confirms.
Corkins will appear before Judge Richard Roberts on Friday, Oct. 26, as the case against him moves forward, the spokeswoman said.
At an Aug. 24 hearing, Magistrate Judge Alan Kay had originally set Monday Oct. 1 as a ”control date,” at which Corkins would have had to return to court if he were not scheduled to appear before Roberts.
Corkins, 28, faces a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He also faces local charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, both of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. The assault charge could carry up to 30 years in prison if Corkins is found guilty.
Corkins, who was previously found competent to stand trial, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Corkins is accused of entering the offices of the Family Research Council at 801 G St. NW on Aug. 15 and shooting security guard Leonardo Reno Johnson, 46, after telling Johnson, ”I don’t like your politics.” Despite suffering a gunshot wound, court records detail Johnson wrestling the gun away from Corkins and subduing him until Corkins could be handed over to officers from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Corkins allegedly brought a bag of Chick-fil-A sandwiches with him to the crime scene, stirring speculation that the crime might be connected to LGBT rights, with Chick-fil-A recently coming under fire for supporting a foundation that has made donations to various anti-gay organizations.
Corkins had previously volunteered at The DC Center, the area’s LGBT community center, as a front desk receptionist.
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