On Wednesday, 28-year-old Floyd Lee Corkins, a LGBT community center volunteer, walked into the building of The Family Research Council, a conservative lobbyist organization, with a legally owned 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and started shooting.
Associated Press (AP) reports that an anonymous law enforcement official said that the shooter denounced the organization before opening fire. Fortunately, the organization's security guard subdued Corkins after taking a bullet to the arm. The security guard is currently is stable condition.
According to AP, Corkins is being held on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon and will appear in court Thursday.
The Family Research Council is a powerful lobbying organization that advocates against gay marriage and abortion, among other interests. The organization's site outlines their role, stating "We review legislation, meet with policymakers, publish books and pamphlets, and maintain a powerful presence in print and broadcast media. Through our outreach to pastors, we equip churches to transform the culture."
Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, commented on the issue, expressing that the shooting "is the clearest sign we've seen that labeling pro-marriage groups as 'hateful' must end."
David Mariner, the executive director of the LGBT community center that Floyd volunteered for said that "[Floyd Corkins] always struck me as a kind, gentle and unassuming young man. I'm very surprised that he could be involved in something like this."
We asked a fellow New Yorker what his view on the shooting was, and he said the following. "Corkin's crime is just that, his own. Simply put, an unstable man walked into a building and pulled the trigger."
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