Here’s a strange and startling one.

On Monday, federal officials announced a man was arrested last week for allegedly planning terrorist attacks around Los Angeles.

Interest added: Suspect Mark Domingo is a U.S. Army veteran who recently became a Muslim.

Mark was taken into custody Friday, according to CBS Los Angeles, “after he received what he thought was a bomb but was actually an inert device supplied to him by an undercover law enforcement officer.”

Doh!

As reported by The Washington Times, the 26-year-old posted an online video professing his belief in Islam. The next day, he declared that “America needs another Vegas event.” Therefore, he’d give “them a taste of the terror they gladly spread all over the world.”

There must be — he posted after the March 15th New Zealand mosques massacre, in which 50 people died (here and here) — retribution.

Mark had intended to bring justice, at least in part, via explosives.

By appearance, he was just a regular dude from Reseda — home of Daniel Laruso (see the video below). But as for his noggin, there were bats in the belfry.

And that crap can make ya batsh** crazy.

From the Times:

U.S. Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said Monday that Mr. Domingo had “wanted to use improvised explosive devices against innocent civilians and he selected components that would make the bombs even more deadly to the victims he targeted.”

As per a 30-page affidavit, in online posts as well as conversations with an FBI source, Mark endorsed violent jihad and a desire to become a martyr.

As targets, he’d been considering the Santa Monica pier, churches, police officers, and Jews.

And there was this, which sounds awfully destructive and painful:

He ultimately planned to detonate an explosive device packed with “several hundred” three-inch nails at a rally scheduled to take place Sunday in Long Beach, California, according to a Justice Department press release. He had purchased 8 pounds to puncture internal organs and gave them to the bomb maker, though the resulting contraption contained only inert materials, authorities said.

WOW.

@USAttyHanna and @FBILosAngeles @LAPDHQ @LBPD @LASDHQ and NCIS announce arrest of San Fernando Valley man in terror plot to detonate explosive device to kill innocent people. pic.twitter.com/EMBSWy9VwY — US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) April 29, 2019

Mark had fought in Afghanistan.

What a difference craziness makes — I’d like to contrast Mark against another Middle Eastern vet, 51-year-old Oscar Stewart. Please read his very different story here.

Thank goodness Mark’s plans were thwarted. LA is full of a whole lot of people who could get blown up but don’t want to. Mark was a guy who wanted to kill people but didn’t get to. Let’s hope he continues to not get to, as the justice system does whatever it needs to do to ensure as much.

And federal authorities: We hope you’ve got your eyes on all the other Marks of the world. It is a crazy one indeed.

-Alex

Relevant RedState links in this article: here, here, and here.

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