A suspect, who planned to attack a hospital treating coronavirus cases in the US state of Missouri, has died after a shootout with the FBI.
According to th FBI, the suspect resisted arrest in the city of Belton as part of a domestic terrorism investigation.
He had allegedly considered a range of targets before settling on the hospital because of the current outbreak.
“The suspect, identified by authorities as Timothy R Wilson, had been under surveillance for months, which revealed him to be a potentially violent extremist who had expressed racial and religious hatred,” the FBI said in a statement.
“Wilson had previously considered attacking a school with a large number of black students, a mosque and a synagogue”, the document disclosed.
He reportedly decided to target the unidentified hospital after authorities in Belton, located in the Kansas City area, told residents to stay at home in an attempt to stem the coronavirus spread.
“Wilson considered various targets and ultimately settled on an area hospital in an attempt to harm many people, targeting a facility that is providing critical medical care in today’s environment,” the statement added.
