The suspect, who was identified as Mark Steven Domingo, was seeking retribution for the recent attacks on mosques in New Zealand, according to authorities. He spoke of unleashing an attack similar to the massacre in Las Vegas, aiming to kill hundreds of people and was especially targeting white nationalists, Jews, churches and military bases, according to court documents filed Monday.
The suspect was arrested Friday night after he received what he thought was a live bomb, but in fact was an inert explosive device that was delivered by an undercover law enforcement officer as part of an investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
He has been charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. Domingo, 26, of Reseda, “planned and took steps to manufacture and use a weapon of mass destruction order to commit mass murder,” according to the criminal complaint filed in court Monday.
Last week, Domingo “purchased several hundred nails” meant to be used as shrapnel inside an explosive device, according to the complaint. The person Domingo believed was a collaborator was an undercover law enforcement officer.
Domingo was previously an active duty Army infantryman who had been deployed to Afghanistan from September 2012 to January 2013. Officials said they reviewed many online posts in which Domingo voiced his enthusiastic support for “violent Jihad” and his desire to attack the Los Angeles area.
On March 3, Domingo posted “America needs another Vegas event,” he added, in reference to the massacre in 2017, “something to kick off civil unrest.” Later that month he posted “there must be retribution” for the Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting.
The arrest comes just two days after a shooting at a synagogue in the San Diego area that left one woman dead and three others injured, leaving many on edge and wary of copycat attacks.
Domingo, according to law enforcement, had three firearms registered to him, including two semi-automatic firearms and a bolt-action rifle. He was a recent convert to Islam, according to the complaint, and expressed support for the activities of the Islamic State.
Over several weeks the informant met with Domingo and discussed his detailed plans to carry out an attack.
“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 the U.S. attorney, Nick Hanna, “Protecting Americans from terror attacks is the No. 1 priority of the Justice Department, and anyone who plots to use a weapon of mass destruction will be held to account.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.