(Source: JSOnline) FBI agents have interrupted what federal prosecutors describe as a planned mass shooting with automatic rifles at a Masonic Temple in downtown Milwaukee, it was announced Tuesday.
Samy Mohamed Hamzeh, 23, has been charged with possessing machine guns and a silencer. Despite indications of an attempted act of terrorism, Hamzeh is not charged with any terrorism counts. He appeared in federal court in Milwaukee Tuesday and remains in custody.
“We are Muslims, defending Muslim religion, we are on our own, my dear, we have organized our own group,” Hamzeh said, according to the criminal complaint, later adding “And we will eliminate everyone” as he described in detail how he and others would attack the temple.
Hamzeh was planning to attack the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic, on N. Van Buren St., according to sources familiar with the case. Hamzeh had scouted out the temple by taking a tour and spoke in detail about how the attack would occur, the complaint said. A woman in the lobby of the temple Tuesday afternoon told a reporter Tuesday that the staff had no comment.
Hamzeh had been under investigation by the FBI since September 2015, using confidential informants close to him, who secretly recorded him, and undercover FBI agents, who arrested him this week.
Hamzeh had originally planned to travel to Jordan to attack Israeli soldiers and civilans in the West Bank, but ditched those plans because of logistical issues and focused his efforts on attacking a target in the U.S., according to the criminal complaint.
He focused on attacking the Mason Temple in Milwaukee with two others, who were actually cooperating with the FBI.
Last week, Hamzeh and the informants went to a local shooting range and practiced firing a handgun. Afterward, they went to the Masonic Center and got a tour of the facility. Later, he spoke with the informants in details about the planned attack, according to the complaint.
During this meeting, which was recorded and subsequently translated from Arabic to English, Hamzeh said they needed three automatic weapons, each with a silencer to launch the attack.
He discussed how the attack would begin: “…one of us will stay at the door at the entrance and lock the door down, he will be at the main door down, two will get to the lift up, they will enter the room, and spray everyone in the room. The one who is standing downstairs will spray anyone he finds. We will shot them, kill them and get out.”
He went on to say the attack could bring global attention.
“I am telling you, if this hit is executed, it will be known all over the world. Sure, all over the world, all the Mujahedeen will be talking and they will be proud of us, what is wrong with you, such operations will increase in America, when they hear about it. The people will be scared and the operations will increase, and there will be problems all over, because more than one problem took place, and this will be the third problem, this will lead to people clashing with each other. This way we will be igniting it. I mean we are marching at the front of the war.”
Of the target, he said: “They are all Masonic; they are playing with the world like a game, man, and we are like asses, we don’t know what is going on, these are the ones who are fighting, these are the ones that needs to be killed, not the Shi’iat, because these are the ones who are against us, these are the ones who are making living for us like hell,” he said. “Thirty is excellent. If I got out, after killing thirty people, I will be happy 100%… 100% happy, because these 30 will terrify the world.”
Moe is the founder of GnosticWarrior.com. He is a father, husband, author, martial arts black belt, and an expert in Gnosticism, the occult, and esotericism.
of terrorism, Hamzeh is not charged with any terrorism counts. He appeared in federal court in Milwaukee Tuesday and remains in custody.
