tags: mideast/muslim, ethiopian, Military Recruiting Office Attacks, bomb, anwar al-awlaki, Osama bin Laden, motive unknown, terrorism ruled out, personal terrorist
$110,000 damage November 1, 2010 The same rifle used in a DC drive-by shooting spree was used to shoot at a United States Coast Guard recruiting center in Woodbridge, Virginia. Former Marine reservist Yonathan Melaku pleaded guilty to shooting at the Pentagon and other military-related buildings and to trying to desecrate graves at Arlington National Cemetery containing the remains of veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Melaku is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Ethiopia. Prosecutors said he had "a large amount of jihadist material on his computer."
*Reference
- ADL Profile: Yonathan Melaku - Anti-Defamation League Anti‑Defamation League Mar 14, 2013 - Yonathan Melaku was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a series of overnight shooting targeting the Pentagon, the National Museum of the .. . Prosecutors described him as “a self-radicalized terrorist.”.
- FBI FBI — Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Military Buildings in ... Federal Bureau of Investigation Jan 26, 2012 - ALEXANDRIA, VA—Yonathan Melaku, 23, of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today to damaging property and firearms violations involving five ...
- National Review: CLIFFORD D. MAY June 30, 2011 12:00 AM When it comes to the jihadi threat, we’re now way beyond willful blindness. searched his home and found a videotape in which he is shouting “Allahu Akbar!” They also found a notebook in which he’d written about Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and The Path to Jihad, a book of lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born Islamic cleric who was widely considered a moderate before he fled to Yemen where he is now a top al-Qaeda commander. So it’s pretty obvious what Melaku was up to, right? Not if you’re a federal employee, it’s not. “I can’t suggest to you his motivations or intent,” James W. McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, told reporters at a news conference. “It’s not readily apparent yet.”
- Gateway Pundit Muslim Marine Reservist Arrested in Connection to DC ... Jun 22, 2011 - Authorities are now trying to track down a vehicle once owned by the suspect, Yonathan Melaku of Alexandria, Va., who has since sold the ...
- Joshuapundit Muslim Shooting Out Of Car Shouting "Allahu Akbar" Pleads ...Jan 27, 2012 - Yonathan Melaku, an ex-marine reservist and a naturalized citizen from Ethiopia pled guilty today in a plea bargain to three counts, including ...
- Jawa Report - Terror Free Somalia flipping through TV news trying to catch anything on Melaku's string of shootings in and around military installations, museums, and monuments. Not a single one of them -- not even Fox -- mentioned the "T" word. There may be a story out there from the MSM on Melaku as a terrorist, but I haven't seen it yet. It should be the lead story. inference here is clear: Melaku was motivated by jihad and was intent on hurting the US military to help terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. So why isn't this leading the news and why isn't any one (that I know of) calling this terrorism? Read More "Can we call it terrorism yet?" H/T Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. FROM JAWA ,October 19, 2010 Shots Fired At The Pentagon -- Terrorist on the Loose in DC? this seems very much like terrorism. Not very effective terrorism, but terrorism nonetheless.
- Washington Post Yonathan Melaku, who fired at Pentagon and other military ... The Washington Post Jan 11, 2013 - Yonathan Melaku, 24, of Fairfax County told investigators that he wanted people to “be afraid for supporting the war,” so he fired at the National ... Washington Post: poised to spray paint Arabic statements on the markers and leave the explosive materials nearby, part of a solitary campaign of “fear and terror” that included the earlier shootings. attacks that did not injure anyone but caused an estimated $111,000 in damage, mostly to windows at the Marine Corps museum — it (motive unclear???) still remains unclear why he did it. FBI officials and prosecutors said Melaku was on a personal terror mission, but they could not say what started Melaku down that path. They said it does not appear his service in the Marine reserves provides any clear sign of trouble, but they said he researched jihadism on the Internet, had references to terrorism in a notebook and on his computer, and yelled “Allahu Akbar” repeatedly during a video of a shooting. police said they found a small amount of bomb-making materials in Melaku’s backpack and discovered a video in his bedroom that showed him driving by the Marine Corps museum in Prince William County and firing repeatedly out the passenger window. .... Melaku says on the video "That’s my target. That’s the military building. It’s going to be attacked.” found instructions for making improvised explosive devices in Melaku’s home in the Alexandria section of Fairfax, and they found a notebook with references to Osama bin Laden and “The Path to Jihad.” had been linked to a spate of vehicle break-ins [for jihad?] in Loudoun County. He was found guilty of two counts of grand larceny in Loudoun in November and was also convicted of trying to escape from his jail cell by digging through a cinderblock wall.
- Wikipedia Northern Virginia military shootings - Wikipedia The person behind the attacks remained unknown until June 17, 2011 when Yonathan Melaku, a 22 year old naturalized American from Ethiopia and Marine ...
*Sources
US v. Melaku :: The Investigative Project on Terrorism Yonathan Melaku was arrested for causing a terror scare near the Pentagon was charged with shootings at four military sites.
Northern Virginia military shootings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Northern Virginia military shootings were a series of attacks targeting military facilities at times when they were believed to be unoccupied during October and November 2010. Forensic examination of the bullets left at the various scenes confirmed that all of the shots were from the same rifle.[1]
Incidents[edit]
The first shooting was aimed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia on October 16, when bullets from a high-velocity rifle penetrated the atrium skylight. On October 19, 2010 shortly before 5 a.m., an unidentified gunman shot at the south side of The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, shattering, but not penetrating windows on the third and fourth floors. The offices behind those windows were vacant due to renovations. The Pentagon Reservation was locked down as authorities swept the area for evidence, and the building was reopened about 5:40 a.m. The Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation into the incident.[2] Then the shooter attacked the Marine Corps Museum again on October 29.[3] The same rifle was used to attack a Marine Corps recruiting center in Chantilly, Virginia on October 26.[4][5]
This series of attacks prompted the organizers of the October 31, 2010 Marine Corps Marathon to upgrade security precautions, which proceeded without incident.[6][7] On November 3, authorities announced that the same rifle was used to shoot at a United States Coast Guard recruiting center in Woodbridge, Virginia on late November 1 or early November 2.[1]
Suspect[edit]
The person behind the attacks remained unknown until June 17, 2011 when Yonathan Melaku, a 22 year old naturalized American from Ethiopia and Marine Corps Reserve Lance Corporal, was found at Arlington National Cemetery while it was closed.[8] He was carrying spent shell casings, a notebook containing references to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and plastic bags filled with ammonium nitrate, a common component of homemade explosives.[8] He also left his vehicle parked in the woods near the Pentagon, police said. He had also been recently charged with breaking into 27 cars in suburban Washington.[9] The investigation of the incident connected Melaku to the shootings, and on June 23, 2011, he was charged with two counts of willfully injuring the property of the United States, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison, and two counts of using a firearm during a violent crime, for which he faces up to a life sentence, with more charges possible.[8]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked with the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County police and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency to investigate the case.[7]
On January 11, 2013, Melaku was sentenced to 25 years in prison.[10] This sentence was the outcome of a plea deal; afterward, Melaku retained new counsel and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but decided to stick with the plea deal.[11]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to:a b Maria Glod and Josh White (November 4, 2010). "Authorities link shooting at Coast Guard center to 4 others". Washington Post. p. B1.
Jump up^ Christy Goodman and Maria Glod (October 20, 2010). "Gunman sought in Pentagon shooting". Washington Post. p. B1.
Jump up^ Sorcher, Sara (October 29, 2010). "Authorities report another shooting at Marine Corps museum". National Journal. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
Jump up^ "Chantilly Shooting Linked to Pentagon, Marine Museum". NBC News4. October 28, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
Jump up^ Josh White and Maria Clod (October 29, 2010). "Recuriting station shots linked to 2 incidents". Washington Post. p. B10.
Jump up^ "Linked Shootings Prompt Marine Corps Marathon Security Concerns". NBC News4. October 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
^ Jump up to:a b Maria Glod and Kafia Hosh (October 30, 2010). "FBI: Shooter could be a Marine". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
^ Jump up to:a b c Pentagon suspect charged with shooting at military buildings
Jump up^ Olivia Katrandjian (June 18, 2011). "Pentagon Bomb Scare: Is the Suspect a Lone-Wolf Terrorist?". abc News. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
Jump up^ Jouvenal, Justin (January 12, 2013). "Yonathan Melaku, who fired at Pentagon and other military facilities, gets 25 years in prison". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
Jump up^ Matthew Barakat (11 January 2013). "Marine who shot at Pentagon gets 25 years". Army Times (Alexandria, Virginia). Associated Press. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
Categories:
The Pentagon
2010 crimes in the United StatesArlington County, Virginia- Prince William County, Virginia
- Crimes in Virginia
- 2010 in Virginia
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