MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) – A Milwaukee man was charged Tuesday on three weapons counts related to a plot to attack a Masonic center in Milwaukee.
23-year-old Samy Hamzeh was charged by a federal grand jury on two counts of possessing a machine gun and one count of possessing a silencer. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison.
A criminal complaint filed last month charging Hamzeh quotes him as saying he was plotting the attack as a way of “defending Islam” and hoped to kill at least 30 people.
He came to the attention of the FBI because he had talked about traveling to the Middle East to wage attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
According to the criminal complaint, he prepared for the attack by touring the center, practicing shooting at a range, and discussing how the attack would unfold.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
