(CNN) A Coast Guard lieutenant arrested last Friday on gun and drug charges allegedly wanted to conduct a mass killing.
Christopher Paul Hasson, 49, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is alleged to be a white supremacist who had a hit list that included prominent Democratic politicians as well as several journalists from CNN and MSNBC. Hasson’s case was first circulated by counterterrorism expert Seamus Hughes and the George Washington Program on Extremism.
Hasson’s hit list includes Democratic politicians — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, Sens. Chuck Schumer, of New York, Cory Booker, of New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut and Kamala Harris, of California and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, of Texas — as well as CNN journalists Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo and Van Jones and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, Ari Melber and Joe Scarborough.
Court documents say Hasson espoused extremist and white supremacist views and allege that he relied on the manifesto of Anders Breivik, a Norwegian who was convicted in 2011 of two terror attacks that killed 77 people.
The government says Hasson also stockpiled steroids and human growth hormone “to increase his ability to conduct attacks,” consistent with the directions in Breivik’s manifesto.
“The defendant is a domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect governmental conduct,” prosecutors wrote.
Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Barry Lane, spokesman for US Coast Guard Headquarters, said in a statement that the arrest was part of an investigation led by the Coast Guard.
“An active duty Coast Guard member, stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, was arrested last week on illegal weapons and drug charges as a result of an ongoing investigation led by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, in cooperation with the FBI and Department of Justice. Because this is an open investigation, the Coast Guard has no further details at this time,” Lane said.
Musing in a draft email acquired by prosecutors, Hasson allegedly wrote, “I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth.”
In another draft email, apparently written to a known American neo-Nazi leader, Hasson allegedly wrote, “We need a white homeland as Europe seems lost.”
When law enforcement agents searched his house they found 15 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the documents.
Hasson, who is assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, is a former Marine. He will appear Thursday in US District Court for the District of Maryland for a hearing.
In a statement, Blumenthal spokeswoman Maria McElwain said he was thankful for the FBI’s intervention.
“Senator Blumenthal is grateful to the FBI and federal prosecutors for their work on this case and their ongoing efforts to combat violent and hateful extremism,” McElwain said.
https://twitter.com/shomaristone/status/1098677113765486592
https://twitter.com/MonieTalks_1/status/1098685293497106433
#ChristopherPaulHasson
Shorter media: Lets report on the Black man filing a false police report. We have to push this narrative…….
Breaking News: #WhiteDomesticTerrorist was planning on mass murder because he desires a white homeland.
US media 🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️
Which is why i REFUSED to comment on JS, from jump.
And won’t even now.
#ChristopherPaulHasson A got damn white supremacist terrorist was planning to commit mass murder because he desired a white homeland and the media is blowing up my tv about #JussieSmollett. Got dammit!
The media is worthless & that’s why the country have a racist thug in the Oval Office. They’d rather report about a Black man filing a false police report than inform the public about a white supremacist planning to murder innocent ppl b/c he wants a white homeland. #RacismSells
https://twitter.com/Kennymack1971/status/1098616777309937664
https://twitter.com/Fresh_Flames1/status/1098406812422991872
https://twitter.com/ceemeez/status/1098615990852608000
https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1098571857605873665
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/1098627127774248962
DOMESTIC TERRORIST!
And we’re supposed to buy children locked in cages are a national security threat?
GTFOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://twitter.com/WajahatAli/status/1098616701510475776
True. J. Smollett faked his own attack, and while it’s a crime.
HE DIDN’T THREATEN TO KILL FOLKS WITH A PRIVATE ARSENAL.
https://twitter.com/MrAmerica/status/1098543754632409089
THERE YOU GO!
https://twitter.com/WritesTruths/status/1098395845161046017
https://twitter.com/DashDeCosta/status/1098585463630319617
https://twitter.com/girlsreallyrule/status/1098385937271324672
https://twitter.com/NBCNewsRadio/status/1098368106592792577
https://twitter.com/ShiJeHiggs/status/1098422448867946502
https://twitter.com/splcenter/status/1098394992995979266
https://twitter.com/NBCInvestigates/status/1098358201123328002
https://twitter.com/HuffPost/status/1098595939525316610
Christopher Paul Hasson wanted a white homeland. There are a lot more like him out there. That thug in the Oval Office has made them feel emboldened. Stay vigilant, people.
https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1098568598837256192
Look at the arsenal. Frightening 😫😫
Domestic terrorist😠😠