Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Religiously Motivated Attack on Synagogue and Gun Charges
| U.S. Department of Justice April 16, 2014 |
WASHINGTON—Macon Openshaw, 21, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah today to a federal civil rights crime relating to a bias-motivated weapons discharge aimed at a local synagogue and to two unlawful gun possession charges.
During the plea proceedings, Openshaw admitted that late at night on a date in 2012, he fired three rounds from a Walther .22 caliber handgun at the Congregation Kol Ami synagogue in Salt Lake City because of its religious character, hitting the unoccupied structure’s second floor window casing and the exterior wall of the synagogue. Openshaw also admitted to possessing a handgun with a destroyed serial number, which was the same handgun he used to shoot the synagogue. He also admitted to possessing several firearms and ammunition while he was subject to a protective order.
“Religiously motivated violence tears at the fabric of our diverse society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “Today, and in the future, the department stands vigilant to confront and eradicate violence based on a person’s religion, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit crimes born of hate.”
“Every citizen living in Utah has a right to be free from intimidation and threatening conduct,” said U.S. Attorney David B. Barlow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah has a strong history of prosecuting those who violate the civil rights of others.”
Openshaw entered into a plea agreement whereby he would be sentenced to 60 months’ incarceration. As part of his plea agreement, Openshaw agreed to pay restitution to the synagogue to repair the damage caused by his actions.
Openshaw is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah and Trial Attorney Nicholas Durham of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.