ATF: Plot by skinheads to kill Obama is foiled

Two Neo-Nazis held in Tennessee, charged with attempted mass murder

By BREAKING NEWS
NBC News and news services
updated 4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A plot by two Neo-Nazi skinheads to assassinate Barack Obama and kill dozens of other African Americans has been foiled, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said Monday.

Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Ark., were charged Friday with making threats against a presidential candidate, illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and conspiracy to rob a gun store.

In court records unsealed Monday, agents said they disrupted plans that included robbing a gun store and targeting an unnamed but predominantly African-American high school.

The two men were arrested in Crockett County, Tenn., and have already made a court appearance.

The plot unraveled when one of the men was arrested on other charges and in the course of interviews he revealed plans for the plot.


According to the court records, the pair discussed robbing a gun shop in order to gather weapons and ammunition to use in a "killing spree."

The defendants allegedly further discussed their killing spree to include targeting a predominately African-American school, and to continue their spree until it culminated with an attempt to assassinate Obama.

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