Man jailed for 18 years after capturing right into a lesbian girl's dwelling whereas on a 'mission' to rid his city of LGBTQ folks, DOJ says

• A Montana man convicted of a hate crime and firearm cost has been sentenced to 18 years in jail.
• He was on a “self-described mission” to rid his city of LGBTQ-identifying folks, the DOJ mentioned.
• The person went to the home of a lesbian girl and shot at it whereas she was inside.

A Montana man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal jail, adopted by 5 years of supervised launch, for capturing right into a lesbian girl’s dwelling whereas making an attempt to rid his city of LGBTQ residents.

John Russell Howald was convicted of a hate crime and firearm cost on February 17, 2023, in relation to the March 2020 incident.

Armed with two assault rifles, a searching rifle, two pistols, and a number of high-capacity magazines that have been taped collectively to hurry reloading, Howald went to the home of the girl, the Division of Justice mentioned in a press launch.

He was on a “self-described mission” to get rid of all LGBTQ-identifying folks from Basin, Montana, it mentioned.

Howald used an AK-style rifle to fireplace a number of photographs into the property whereas the unnamed girl was at dwelling, with one spherical going via the partitions and several other others hitting her porch and yard, in response to the DOJ.

The lady was not hit.

His aim was to encourage comparable assaults across the nation, Assistant Lawyer Basic Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division mentioned within the press launch.

Howald then walked across the city, which has a inhabitants of about 250 folks, approaching different houses belonging to homosexual, lesbian, and queer Basin residents, the DOJ mentioned.

Native residents noticed Howald on their means out of a church and stalled him whereas they waited for a sheriff’s deputy to reach, in response to the DOJ.

The pastor of the church recorded Howald firing extra rounds and yelling about eager to “clear” homosexual and lesbian residents from Basin.

When regulation enforcement arrived, he aimed his rifle at an officer, almost initiating a shootout, earlier than escaping into close by hills, in response to the DOJ.

He was arrested the next day.

Officers discovered Howald armed with a loaded pistol, a knife and an AR-style rifle and a revolver in his automotive. In addition they found an AK-style rifle, searching rifle, and ammunition in his camper, the DOJ mentioned.

“The unlucky actuality is bigotry and hate exist in our communities,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, the performing particular agent in command of the FBI’s Salt Lake Metropolis discipline workplace, mentioned within the press launch.

“Nonetheless, as a various nation, we won’t tolerate violence motivated by such bias,” Gibson added.

Howald was beforehand convicted in 2006 of 1 cost of cruelty to animals, after he shot a Labrador, beheaded it at a public campsite, and threw its stays at its house owners, in response to Legislation & Crime.