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| US veteran arrested over terror plot | US veteran arrested over terror plot |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A US army veteran has been arrested after allegedly plotting to "commit mass murder" in California. | A US army veteran has been arrested after allegedly plotting to "commit mass murder" in California. |
| Mark Steven Domingo "faces federal charges in a terrorist plot in which he planned to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED)", according to a US Department of Justice release. | |
| He was arrested on Friday after accepting what he believed to be a live bomb, delivered by undercover officers. | He was arrested on Friday after accepting what he believed to be a live bomb, delivered by undercover officers. |
| The 26-year-old allegedly planned to detonate it at a rally in Long Beach. | The 26-year-old allegedly planned to detonate it at a rally in Long Beach. |
| According to court documents, Mr Domingo took calculated steps to build and detonate a weapon of mass destruction. | |
| "This investigation successfully disrupted a very real threat posed by a trained combat soldier who repeatedly stated he wanted to cause the maximum number of casualties," said federal prosecutor Nick Hanna in a statement. | |
| In online posts and in conversations with an FBI source - posing as a likeminded accomplice - Mr Domingo expressed a desire to seek retribution for the March attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and other attacks against Muslims. Mr Domingo allegedly communicated his willingness to be a martyr as part of his attack. | |
| According to authorities, Mr Domingo considered multiple sites for his attack - including Jewish people, churches and police officers - before deciding to target the Long Beach rally. | |
| US media have described the gathering in California as a "white nationalist rally." | |
| Mr Domingo allegedly referred to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas - the deadliest such attack in modern US history, it left 58 dead - as a blueprint for his own assault, posting online that "America needs another Vegas event." | |
| According to court documents, once Mr Domingo had determined the location of his attack, he worked with the FBI source to find a bomb maker, and purchased "several hundred nails" meant to be used as shrapnel inside the IED. | |
| "Domingo said he specifically bought three-inch nails because they would be long enough to penetrate the human body and puncture internal organs," the affidavit says. | |
| In a joint statement, federal authorities celebrated the thwarting of the alleged attack and said there is no outstanding threat to the public. | |
| "I'm extremely glad to be announcing that we interdicted a potential terrorist attack, rather than outlining the FBI's response to yet another tragedy," said Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBI's field office. "At no time was the public in danger and there is currently no known threat to public safety. |