Milwaukee man charged in machine gun plot targeting Masonic temple

A 23-year-old Milwaukee man was charged Tuesday in connection with an alleged mass shooting plot involving the use of machine guns against members of a local Masonic temple, according to federal prosecutors.

Samy Mohamed Hamzeh, who has been the target of a federal authorities since September, allegedly abandoned a separate plan to attack against soldiers in Israel, is accused of touring the Milwaukee temple along with two FBI informants as recently as last week to plot the assault.

According to court documents, Hamzeh engaged in "extensive'' conversations with the two informants, beginning in October when the plan to target Israeli soldiers was discarded in favor of a domestic attack.

Following last week's temple visit, where Hamzeh allegedly learned meeting schedules and the physical layout of the facility, the suspect "reaffirmed his intention to commit an armed attack.''

"We want two machine-guns,'' Hamzeh allegedly told the informants in a recorded conversation, adding that one of the informants already possessed such a weapon. "And we need three silencers. That's it. Find out how much altogether these will cost, and then we will march.''

With each attacker armed with a machine-gun and attached silencer, Hamzeh allegedly told the informants that "the operation will be 100 percent successful.''

Hamzeh, according to court documents, said one of the attackers would remain at the temple's main door while the two others would go to an upstairs meeting room to target people there.

"As long as the one on the door understands he has bigger responsibility than the others,'' Hamzeh allegedly told the informants. "He has to annihilate everyone... When we go into a room, we will be killing everyone, that’s it, this is our duty.''

Hamzeh allegedly said his goal was to kill at least 30 people to capture the attention of the "Mujahedeen all over the world.''

"Thirty is excellent,'' he allegedly told the informants. "If I got out, after killing 30 people, I will be happy, 100% happy, because these 30 will terrify the world.”

Hamzeh allegedly arranged to purchase the machineguns and silencers from two other undercover FBI agents, who delivered the weapons Monday.

"Hamzeh agreed to a price and paid it to the undercover agents,'' prosecutors said Tuesday. "Hamzeh carried the bag to the vehicle in which he had traveled to the meeting, and he placed the bag in the trunk of the vehicle; he then was arrested.''

“Samy Mohamed Hamzeh devised a detailed plan to commit a mass shooting intended to kill dozens of people,'' U.S Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad said, "He also said that he wanted this mass shooting to be ‘known the world over’ and to ‘ignite’ broader clashes.''

Haanstad credited information provided by "concerned citizens,'' as helping to avert an attack.

"It is difficult to calculate the injury and loss of life that was prevented by concerned citizens coming forward,'' the prosecutor said.