Advertisement Authorities prevent mass shooting at a Masonic temple in Milwaukee Samy Mohamed Hamzeh charged with possessing machine guns, silencer Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The FBI has arrested a man who it says was planning a mass shooting at a Masonic temple in Milwaukee.VIDEO: FBI arrests man suspected of planning mass shootingSamy Mohamed Hamzeh, 23, has been charged with possession of machine guns and a silencer. The FBI said he wanted to kill as many as 30 people. According to the criminal complaint, Hamzeh had been under investigation since September.The investigation showed that in October, Hamzeh planned to travel to Jordan, enter the West Bank, and conduct an attack on Israeli soldiers and citizens living in the West Bank.Hamzeh later abandoned those plans and began to focus on conducting an attack in the United States. Authorities began to record his conversations in October and during the calls, Hamzeh explained that he wanted to commit a domestic act of violence. Earlier this month, he settled on a Masonic temple in Milwaukee as his target.On Jan. 19, he took a guided tour of a Masonic temple in town. After the tour, he was heard on the phone saying, "When we go into a room, we will be killing everyone. That's it. This is our duty."He went on to say, “Thirty is excellent. If I got out, after killing 30 people, I will be happy 100 percent.”On Monday, Hamzeh met with two undercover FBI employees to buy machine guns. After they exchanged money, Hamzeh was arrested and the weapons were retrieved from the trunk of his car. He is now being housed at the Kenosha County jail.The FBI is not revealing which temple in Milwaukee. but sources confirmed for WISN 12 News that the target of the planned attack was the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center at Van Buren at Wells streets.Acting United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad said, “Samy Mohamed Hamzeh devised a detailed plan to commit a mass shooting intended to kill dozens of people. He also said that he wanted this mass shooting to be ‘known the world over’ and to ‘ignite’ broader clashes." The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee said Hamzeh was unknown to them.“We have talked with a few people, and we understand that he is over on the east side and runs with a group of people that's not affiliated with the Islamic Centers,” Ahme Quereshi said.Quereshi said they condemn the planned attack.“Tonight, we pray for law enforcement and that we are so happy that they protected our community, including the Scottish Mason Temple in downtown Milwaukee from an assault,” he said.“My message to the city of Milwaukee is we should be incredibly thankful to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for acting so decisively, and so quickly, to apprehend this individual and to thwart this threat,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson released a statement saying, "This incident reminds us of the importance of staying alert and reporting suspicious behavior to law enforcement authorities. It also reminds us of the reality that individuals motivated by radical beliefs pose a real threat to the security of Americans wherever they may reside -- even here in Wisconsin."9737608