Federal authorities have released an indictment in a case where they allege that an Arizona man plotted a public massacre of minorities at an Atlanta rap concert in May of 2024. His alleged motive: to ignite a race war in advance of the November presidential election.
The indictment names Mark Adams Prieto and charges him with possession of an unregistered firearm, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and firearms trafficking. According to the Justice Department, the indictment comes on the heels of a several month long FBI investigation that culminated in Prieto’s arrest in May. An FBI spokesperson told reporters that Prieto is currently being held by the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to Arizona from New Mexico.
According to the arrest warrant, the FBI’s inquiry into Prieto—a 58 year-old resident of Prescott, Arizona—and his activities began when its Phoenix office received a report from an undisclosed source that Prieto intended to start a race war in advance of the November elections. The source spoke of having encountered and spoken with Prieto over fifteen times at several gun shows over the course of three years. Their conversations eventually outgrew small talk and entered the realm of politics. During the last year, the nature of Prieto’s conversation turned sinister, with the suspect making comments in favor of mass shootings, especially those targeting Jews, Muslims, and Blacks.
The source said that Prieto holds the belief that, shortly after the November 2024 election, martial law will come into effect in the United States, and he thought that a mass shooting should happen before the martial law order comes down. In late 2023, the source reports having been asked by Prieto if the source was prepared to “kill a bunch of people.” This indicated to authorities Prieto’s desire to recruit confederates who might assist him in carrying out the attack.
Prieto’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
