By Jeff Coen, Chicago Tribune
Federal prosecutors in Tennessee have charged two self-described white supremacists with making threats against Sen. Barack Obama, alleging the men talked about wearing white top hats and tuxedos when they would try to kill the Democratic presidential nominee.
Daniel Cowart, 20, of Tennessee and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of Arkansas, also were charged with possessing a sawed-off shotgun and conspiring to rob a gun dealer.The two met online about a month ago, authorities said, discussing the views of the “white power” movement.
This undated photo obtained from a MySpace
webpage shows Daniel Cowart, 20 of Bells, Tennessee
holding a weapon The two planned a massacre that
would have killed scores of African-Americans and
ended with an assassination attempt, according to an
affidavit filed in the case. No specific time or place
was outlined in the document for the attack.
According to the affidavit filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the two talked of attacking a predominantly African-American school and killing more than 100 students, including 14 who would have been beheaded.
Officials said they were taking the case seriously. No attorneys for the two could immediately be reached for comment.
Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who is traveling with the nominee, said the campaign had no comment on the alleged plot.
The men planned to shoot at Obama from a car while wearing the tuxedos, the court document said, and “they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt.” They were arrested last week in Tennessee after shooting out the window of a church and they remain in custody.
Both men are scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a detention hearing, said Lawrence Laurenzi, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.