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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 10 sepTember 2019

Man accused of plotting mass killing wants gun charges nixed

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN charge, a misdemeanor.
Associated Press Prosecutors have called
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A Hasson a domestic terror-
federal judge said Monday ist intent on carrying out
that he will decide by the a mass killing, but they
end of this week whether haven’t filed any terrorism-
to dismiss gun charges related charges against
against a Coast Guard lieu- him since his February ar-
tenant accused of stockpil- rest.
ing combat gear and com- During a hearing earlier this
piling a hit list of prominent year, Windom said the gov-
Democrats and TV journal- ernment had no doubt that
ists. Hasson’s arrest prevented
Christopher Hasson, 50, is bloodshed.
asking U.S. District Judge Hasson is a self-described
George Hazel in Maryland white nationalist who has
to dismiss three of the four espoused extremist views
counts in his indictment. The for years and “intends to
judge didn’t immediately murder innocent civilians
rule Monday after hearing on a scale rarely seen in this
testimony from expert wit- country,” Windom wrote.
nesses and arguments from Hasson also drafted an
attorneys. email in which he said he
Hasson’s lawyers argue that was “dreaming of a way to
two of the four counts in his kill almost every last person
indictment, both charg- on earth,” Windom said. This Feb. 21, 2019, file photo shows U.S. Attorney Robert Hur, center, of the District of Maryland,
ing him with unlawful pos- Public defender Liz Oyer speaks as Art Walker, left, special agent from the Coast Guard investigative service, and Gordon
session of firearm silencers, has said prosecutors Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore office, listen during a news conference
violate his Second Amend- haven’t filed terrorism-re- about Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson, outside the federal courthouse in Greenbelt.
ment right to bear arms. lated charges against Has- Associated Press
Assistant federal public son because they haven’t more than 1,000 rounds of Macbeth said. Silencers are regulated by
defender Cullen Macbeth found any evidence to ammunition at Hasson’s Windom noted that eas- the National Firearms Act.
said the Second Amend- back up those allegations. basement apartment in ily acquired items, such as Nearly 1.5 million silencers
ment protects silencers She accused prosecutors Silver Spring, Maryland. oil filters and flashlights, are were registered with the Bu-
along with firearms and of seeking to punish Hasson He researched how to used to make homemade reau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
ammunition. for “private thoughts” that make homemade bombs silencers. Firearms and Explosives as
“Courts have given the he never shared. and mortars, studied snip- The prosecutor questioned of February 2018, up from
word ‘arms’ an expansive Prosecutors have said er training and used his whether defense attorneys approximately 285,000 in
interpretation,” Macbeth Hasson created what ap- government computer were arguing that those 2010, according to Has-
said. peared to be a comput- to search for information items also merit Second son’s lawyers.
A prosecutor, however, er-spreadsheet hit list that about Nazis and Adolf Hit- Amendment protection, Hasson, a former Marine,
said other courts already included Democratic ler, prosecutors said. but Macbeth said they worked at Coast Guard
have held that the Second presidential hopefuls Sens. The judge didn’t hear any weren’t. headquarters in Washing-
Amendment doesn’t cover Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth testimony or arguments “These are all arguments ton on a program to ac-
silencers. Warren, Cory Booker and about the government’s to present to Congress and quire advanced new cut-
“You can use guns just fine Kamala Harris. Also men- terrorism-related allega- not the court,” Windom ters for the agency.
without silencers,” said As- tioned were MSNBC’s Chris tions during Monday’s said. “The court should not He has remained held in
sistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Hayes and Joe Scarbor- hearing. have to be splitting these federal custody since his
Windom. ough and CNN’s Chris Cuo- A defense expert said gun hairs.” arrest.q
Hasson also is charged with mo and Van Jones. Hasson owners primarily want to
possession of firearms by also targeted two Supreme use silencers for hearing
unlawful user or addict of a Court justices and two so- protection and to increase
controlled substance, and cial media company exec- the accuracy of some fire-
illegal possession of trama- utives and searched online arms.
dol, an opioid painkiller. for their home addresses in Macbeth, the public de-
Defense attorneys are ask- March 2018, within minutes fender, said there is no Weekly special on Cars $169.00
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They haven’t sought the Investigators found 15 guns, “Silencers are part of us-
pretrial dismissal of the drug including seven rifles, and ing weapons effectively,”