Man indicted for plotting racial shooting at Bad Bunny's concert
Mark Adams Prieto, a 58-year-old man from Arizona, was indicted on Tuesday for allegedly planning a mass shooting at an Atlanta concert of Latin trap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny. Federal prosecutors claim Prieto intended to ignite a "race war" ahead of the 2024 presidential election in the United States of America. His arrest in May followed an alert from a source he had tried to recruit for the massacre, which subsequently led to an FBI investigation.
Prieto targeted Atlanta for this reason
Prieto reportedly acquired semi-automatic rifles through cash transactions or trades, aiming to avoid detection by gun regulators. He allegedly selected Atlanta as his target due to his belief that it had become crime-ridden due to an influx of Black people. "The reason I say Atlanta... Because as the crime got worse in L.A., St. Louis, and all these other cities, all the [racial slur] moved out of those [places] and moved to Atlanta," Prieto is quoted in the affidavit.
Prieto's expected outcome and concert selection
According to the source who alerted the FBI, "Prieto believed that martial law would be implemented after the upcoming elections" and a mass shooting should occur before then. He allegedly planned to target a rap concert due to its expected large gathering of Black people. Prieto suggested his co-conspirators wear hoodies to blend into the crowd, aiming for concerts scheduled for mid-May, June, or July, including one where the artist was expected to perform.
Details of his alleged hate crime strategy
Prieto's alleged plan included leaving Confederate flags at the scene and shouting "KKK all the way," and "no mercy, no quarter." KKK stands for the notorious white-supremacist group Ku Klux Klan. He also reportedly planned to hide guns near the concert venue before traveling across the country to execute his plot. "We're going to fight back now, and every whitey will be the enemy across the whole country," Prieto allegedly said.
His arrest and potential consequences if convicted
In April, Prieto informed an undercover agent that he "did not intend to go forward with the attack." He was arrested on May 14 and admitted discussing a mass shooting but claimed he did not intend to follow through with his plans. Prieto was eventually charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Firearms Trafficking, and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Hate Crime. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.
