Cops: LGBT volunteer shoots conservative group's guard

Washington police and FBI agents gather outside the Family Research Council in Washington Aug. 15, 2012, after a security guard at the lobbying group was shot in the arm. / AP Photo

Updated at 6:10 p.m. ET

(AP) WASHINGTON - A man suspected of shooting and wounding a security guard in the lobby of a Christian lobbying group had been volunteering at a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

A law enforcement official has identified the suspect arrested in Wednesday's shooting as Floyd Corkins II of Herndon, Va. Investigators were interviewing his neighbors.

Another official says the shooter made a negative reference about the work of the Family Research Council before opening fire. The officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

David Mariner is executive director of The DC Center for the LGBT Community. He says Corkins had been volunteering at the center for about the past 6 months. Mariner describes Corkins as "kind, gentle and unassuming."

While police have not yet stated what motivated Corkins, a coalition of 25 gay rights groups released a statement through GLAAD condemning the shooting.

"The motivation and circumstances behind today's tragedy are still unknown, but regardless of what emerges as the reason for this shooting, we utterly reject and condemn such violence. We wish for a swift and complete recovery for the victim of this terrible incident," the statement read.

The guard, who was an employee of the FRC, was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

"Our first concern is with our colleague who was shot today," the group's president, Tony Perkins, said in a statement.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in a statement that he was appalled by the shooting. "There is no place for such violence in our society," he said. "My prayers go out to the wounded security guard and his family, as well as all the people at the Family Research Council whose sense of security has been shattered by today's horrific events."

The headquarters of the Family Research Council is in the city's bustling Chinatown neighborhood, near the Verizon Center, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and several museums, restaurants and shops.

Amy Biondi and her husband Steve were visiting Washington from Long Island with their daughter and a friend and tried to ask officers for help with a parking meter when they were told there was a situation they had to deal with. The door to the FRC was opened, and an officer repeatedly shouted, "Put the gun down, put the gun down."

"Next thing you know there are police officers swarming the area," said Biondi, 45, a massage therapist from St. James, N.Y.

The family didn't get a close look, but they said the man officers were talking to seemed to comply with the orders immediately.

The Family Research Council advocates conservative positions on social issues and strongly opposes gay marriage and abortion.

Perkins was an outspoken defender of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's public stand against same-sex marriage, which made the fast-food chain a flashpoint in the nation's culture wars. The Cathy family foundation has funded the Family Research Council.

"He's taking a bold stand," Perkins said after Cathy's comments were reported. "Chick-fil-A is a Bible-based, Christian-based business who treats their employees well. They have been attacked in the past about their stand. But they refuse to budge on this matter, and I commend them for what they are doing."

[mogul264]

Next thing, some liberal flake will be agitating for 'gun control'! I tend to agree.........liberal idiots like THIS jerk NEED their guns confiscated!

[BuzzardVomit]

I wish Eric Holder and the Obama administration would deal with terrorist hate groups like LBGT. But sadly these homicidal homosexuals contribute to his campaign.

[toddclemmer]

Why are gays filled with so much hate?

[Ericwvb]

Finally a lefty went ballistic and attacked a right wing institution with a gun. The media breathes a sigh of relief and can now say "both sides do it" for the next 100 attacks by right wing nuts.

[Jonathon1st]

Where are the right wing attackes? If you look at all the attacks that have been going on you will see 99 percent are done by liberal nut jobs.

[RemainOne]

A gay is a gay because he cannot think properly, or his mind has no control over his thoughts and deeds.In other words these are sick people. And for sick people violence comes natural, as it is with people of certain doctrine. It is difficult to make these people understand that instead of enforcing their weird views and preference on others, they need to make themselves available for treatment. Christians or any God believing people value family life, and family oriented society. What these so called leftists need to consider is,What if,as per their wish, majority of the people in the world or the entire world becomes gay. What will happen to the society. They need to thank God that they are living in a country which values individual rights. What about those gays living in some countries where they have to pay with their lives if they are ever discovered.People in some of these countries cannot even make their leaning known to others without running a risk of being caught by the law. Our prayers are with these people who do not know that they are sick.

[The_Libertarian]

I blame Joe Biden's hate speech. He accuses the Republicans of wanting to re-enslave blacks and the next day some whack job attempts mass murder of conservatives.

Democrats, it's time to stop your hate speech. It's time for civil discourse. Obama has divided the nation enough already.

[TimeToEvolve]

It seems to be OK if a right winger shoots someone, then it is just one disturbed person. But if a winger gets shot, then it is suddenly because of hate by a whole population.

You see now how their hypocritical, hysterical, fear-mongering, narrow and shortsighted brains work?

[mogul264]

What I see is a crazed, hate-filled a$$hole who obtained, somehow, a gun. He may even have gotten it legitimately, as there is NO required pre-sale test for SANITY! So, now the 'gun-control' nuts will be agitating for new laws requiring EVERYBODY to surrender their weapons!

However, there are already enough "laws" on the books to thoroughly control guns, IF, and ONLY IF, EVERYBODY obeys the laws! Of course, this will never happen; there will ALWAYS be SOMEONE who will keep their weapon, even so!

Had others there had weapons, AND TRAINING, instead of only the guard, this clown would be DEAD! Problem solved! On the other hand, had ALL had guns, would this situation have even happened?

[TimeToEvolve]

We can no longer tolerate intolerant people. If you try to deny people equal rights by forcing your narrow right wing views on others and then something like this happens, well "blame yo'self" - Herman Cain, 2012.

[brnstb007]

Get back in the closet where you p3nis-anvs p3rv3rts belong.

[Jonathon1st]

Nobody is dening anyone equal rights. We just do not want to give extra right just because of who they want to sleep with. Gays have the same rights as everyone else but that is not good enough they want to be treated special and differant. Show me one right that I have that you do not?

[yarply-2009]

It's started. The gays are going to far and causing anger among those who have been friendly and accepting towards the gay community. The chikfila protest was a fiasko, spray painting one place of business, the videos of gays getting in peoples faces who were not involved in or with chikfila portrayed a side of the gay community which has not been seen on or in the news, or by most straight people who have gay friends. People are seeing the rage behind the gay movement. People are seeing the, I don't care about you, anyone, or anything else mentality of many. They are beginning to understand that acceptance of "gays" as equals is not the goal,, but that the actual overthrow of gender definitions, and monogamist relationships defined by religious groups(God) is. They appear to want applause and or approval by everyone. If you do not approve of what they do and applaud it you are a mentally sick hater. Subject to gang physical violence, harassing phone calls,vandalism to your home,car,and business. If you have stickers on your car which states you are pro family as defined by God, your car windows can be broken out, or the paint job keyed. Sometimes with the more militant just being married and going to church is enough to drive them insane with hate and anger.

Yeah it's starting. People are getting tired of being tolerant and excepting only to see their own rights and beliefs spit on and called hate. To have their most dear beliefs sneered at,ridiculed and called bigoted. This country may just,,, snap. It's close. With all the tension right now in the world and the stress on people. I don't hate gay's but I am glad I am not one.

[yarply-2009]

Dusty-Trail,

Thought the same of yours after I read it.

[yarply-2009]

Dusty Trail.

Thought the same of yours while reading it.

[MatthewWHall]

Gay terrorists! We've come a long way baby!

[American1961]

Please tell me you don't think of this as Progress...

[DennisinWV]

Just more violence from the left in the name of civility. Notice how there is virtually no coverage of this event in the electronic media?