John F. Bennett, special agent in charge of the San Francisco FBI division, announced that the FBI will launch a domestic terrorism investigation into the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.
Bennett sad the shooter had been “exploring violent ideologies” and an analysis of his digital media found a ‘target list.’
Without going into specifics, Bennett said the list included “religious groups, both political parties, and government locations. However, it did not name any individuals, just specific churches and buildings.
Bennett also claimed that the FBI could not open an investigation until they found evidence of “a potential federal violation, unlawful use of force or violence and ‘most importantly’ the existence of ideological motivation.”
The Festival shooting happened less than a week before a weekend that saw two mass shootings. Three people died in the Festival, including two children.
In other related news:
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) has called on Congress to make acts of Domestic Terrorism a federal crime regardless of the ideology behind them.
as domestic terrorism regardless of the ideology behind them. FBIAA continues to urge Congress to make domestic terrorism a federal crime. This would ensure that FBI Agents and prosecutors have the best tools to fight domestic terrorism.”
— FBI Agents Association (@FBIAgentsAssoc) August 6, 2019
