Neo-Nazi leader accused of inspiring school shooting, plotting NYC attack extradited to US
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Antioch High School student-led rally to honor Josselin Corea Escalante
Students and local politicians attend a student-led rally to honor Josselin Corea Escalante at Antioch High School in Antioch, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.
The 17-year-old Tennessee school shooter said before the attack he was acting on behalf of the group MKY.
The leader of MKY, a Georgian national, was extradited to the U.S. and arraigned in New York on May 23.
The charges relate to Michail Chkhikvishvili's alleged training of an undercover agent on how to carry out a mass poisoning.
Federal officials extradited an international neo-Nazi group leader they say inspired a teen to commit a school shooting in Tennessee earlier this year and plotted to commit a mass casualty attack in New York City targeting Jewish people.
The terrorist group's leader, 21-year-old Michail Chkhikvishvili, orchestrated deadly attacks around the globe, prosecutors said. The citizen of the nation of Georgia was extradited from Moldova on May 22 after he was arrested in July. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Brooklyn on May 23, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ said the man, who went by the name "Commander Butcher," was the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, which goes by several other names including MKY. Chkhikvishvili has distributed a writing called the "Hater's Handbook," encouraging people to commit acts of mass violence and "ethnic cleansing," according to court filings. His "solicitations of violence" led to international attacks, including a 2024 stabbing outside a mosque in Turkey, prosecutors said.
Chkhikvishvili targeted the U.S. as a site for more attacks because of the ease of accessing firearms, prosecutors said in court records.
He told an undercover law enforcement employee, 'I see USA as big potential because accessibility to firearms and other resources,' in an electronic message sent Sept. 8, 2023, court filings show.
It was not clear if Chkhikvishvili had an attorney who could speak on his behalf
'Murder cult' leader plotted to poison Jewish kids in NYC, feds say
Chkhikvishvili has been indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on four counts including solicitation of violent felonies. The charges stemmed from Chkhikvishvili's communications with an undercover FBI employee in which he trained and encouraged the undercover agent to carry out a mass attack against Jewish people and minorities. Chkhikvishvili corresponded with the undercover agent between September 2023 and at least March 2024.
The plot included having an individual wearing a Santa Claus costume hand out poisoned candies to Jewish kids in New York City on New Year's Eve. It later evolved into targeting Jewish people on a larger scale. Chkhikvishvili said he wanted the attack to be a "bigger action than Breivik," prosecutors said. Breivik refers to Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a massacre in Norway in 2011 that targeted mostly teenagers at a camp.
"His goal was to spread hatred, fear, and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson, and even poisoning children," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said last year.
The MKY group is based in Russia and Ukraine but has members around the world, including the U.S., according to a federal complaint. Members adhere to neo-Nazi ideology promoting violence against racial minorities.
Chkhikvishvili allegedly inspired Tennessee school shooting
The man's arrest came before the deadly attack at Antioch High School on Jan. 22, 2025. However, prosecutors in the New York federal court linked the Antioch shooting to Chkhikvishvili's solicitations of violence in a court filing on May 23, the Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York wrote to the judge requesting the man be incarcerated before trial. They pointed to several ways his actions have 'directly resulted in real violence,' including the shooting at Antioch High School.
According to the prosecutors, the 17-year-old attacker claimed he was taking action on behalf of MKY and at least one other group in an audio recording posted online before the shooting.
It is not clear if the shooter was a member of MKY or had contact with Chkhikvishvili or other members of the terrorist organization. Chkhikvishvili said the group asks for video of brutal beatings, arson, explosions or murders to join the group, adding that the victims should be 'low race targets.'
Chkhikvishvili's name also appeared in the document the DOJ said was written by the Antioch shooter – a 300-page writing in which the shooter espoused misanthropic White supremacist and Nazi ideologies. The shooter also referred to the founder of MKY and said he would write the founder's name on his gun, according to prosecutors.
Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, died after the 17-year-old shot her with a pistol in the cafeteria of Antioch High School. Another student was injured during the attack. The shooter, 17-year-old student Solomon Henderson, then shot and killed himself.
Contributing: Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
DC crime is out of control — a federal takeover could be the only solution
Last year, I first proposed to my husband the idea of allowing our preteen daughter to ride the Washington, DC, Metro alone. She wants to take Irish dance classes in the city, and a weekly drive in from the Maryland suburbs is too much for the family schedule. Then came story after story of stabbings, gang violence, and even a shooting on the Metro. My proposal went back on the shelf. We moved to the DC suburbs because of its proximity to the best our nation's capital has to offer. I frequently take our six kids into the city to explore the Smithsonian museums, attend performances at the Kennedy Center, and soak up the living civics lesson that is Washington, DC. But in recent years, that promise has begun to unravel. The Metro stations that once filled us with civic pride now fill us with unease. City streets feel less predictable, less policed. And worst of all, none of it feels like an accident. Since the pandemic and the 2020 protests, Washington, DC has been spiraling. Police were demoralized. Prosecutions declined. Repeat offenders walked free. The result? Growing lawlessness and a population that no longer feels protected. Just this week, a former DOGE employee risked his life to save a woman from being assaulted by a group of a dozen teens in the city. He was beaten so severely that he suffered a concussion, but he prevented what could have been a much more tragic outcome. Elon Musk shared the story on X and added his own conclusion: 'It is time to federalize DC.' He's not the only one who feels that way. President Donald Trump posted a blistering statement on Truth Social, declaring that 'Crime in Washington, DC is totally out of control.' He pointed to youth gangs, violent assaults and the lack of consequences for offenders. 'If DC doesn't get its act together, and quickly,' Trump warned, 'we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City . . . and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore.' Critics will call this authoritarian. But for parents like me, people trying to raise independent, confident children in this area, the idea is simply a relief. And this isn't just about families and tourists. Leo Terrell, chair of the Justice Department's task force to combat antisemitism, sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser this week blasting the city's failure to protect the Israel on Campus Coalition's recent student conference. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters The organizers had to spend over a quarter of a million dollars on private security to ensure the safety of Jewish attendees — what Terrell called a 'Jewish tax' just to exist peacefully in public. In May, a House staffer was the victim of an armed carjacking in Navy Yard. In July, a congressional intern, 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, was killed in a drive-by shooting that also injured a 16-year-old boy and a woman. If we want the best and brightest to visit our city and serve in government as staffers, civil servants or interns, we need to offer them a capital that is safe to live in. Right now, we can't. If staffers, students and commuters can't move through this city without fear, what exactly are we doing? I'd love to hand my daughter a flip phone and a SmartTrip card and give her a taste of independence. But I can't. Not while Metro attacks happen weekly. Not while carjackings plague every neighborhood. Not while city leaders stand paralyzed, caught between ideology and inertia. Washington, DC, should be a national showcase — but unless someone restores order, the city will continue its descent into fear and frustration. The message from parents, federal workers and even tech billionaires is the same: Enough is enough. We want our kids to love this city. But more than that, we want them to be safe in it. And that shouldn't be too much to ask. Bethany Mandel writes and podcasts at The Mom Wars and is a homeschooling mother of six in greater Washington, DC.
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Global groups denounce conviction of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli
Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Multiple international human rights and journalism advocates on Wednesday sharply condemned the conviction and two-year prison sentence of independent Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli as the well-known media manager seeks an appeal amid declining health. As of this year she gained the distinction as the first woman journalist to be jailed in the eastern European nation of Georgia since its 1991 independence from the former Russian Soviet Union. "The proceedings were riddled with procedural violations and bias," Denis Krivosheev, the deputy director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of Amnesty International, said in a statement. Amaghlobeli, a co-founder of independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was said to be unlawfully detained hours before her Jan. 12 arrest in Georgia's western city of Batumi for allegedly slapping the city's police chief in a dispute during peaceful local protests against government policy. According to Krivosheev, the court "refused to admit much of the defense's submissions and investigate credible allegations of ill-treatment by police officials." Georgian authorities charged her on three separate counts, including "attacking a police officer." In addition, "insulting and resisting arrest" and "damaging the appearance of a building" with a protest sticker. "I will not bow to this regime," Amaglobeli wrote in February during pre-trial detention. Global human and civil rights organizations said Amaglobeli's seven-month trial was largely politicized, unfair, full of procedural irregularities and called for independent inquiries to look into the allegations. Last month, Georgian tax authorities seized the Batumelebi and Netgazeti bank accounts. "We condemn this arbitrary decision at the end of a trial marked by irregularities," Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk for the France-based Reporters Without Borders, said Wednesday. "The charges are disproportionate, as a slap does not constitute a criminal offense, and her two-year prison sentence represents a new step in the government's use of the justice system to silence critical voices," Cavelier stated, calling on the Georgian government to "put an end to this travesty of justice" and further called for Amaghlobeli's immediate freedom. Georgia ranks 114th out of 180 nations in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. On Friday, ex-Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili was present in court for proceedings during two-day hearings along with diplomats from eight foreign embassies in support. Appalling - but unsurprising - news from Georgia today.#MziaAmaglobeli sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment. Mzia is a tenacious journalist & a visionary publisher. I am proud to act as international counsel. I & my Georgian & international colleagues will now be taking urgent... Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC (@caoilfhionnanna) August 6, 2025 Amnesty's Krivosheev said Amaghlobeli had been subjected to "a litany of abuses" at the hands of police in Russia's former soviet satellite state and "must receive a fair trial." Mzia Amaghlobeli was "verbally assaulted, spat on, injured and then refused medical help," he continued. "This was admitted by police officers during her trial, yet impunity has prevailed." On Wednesday, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called her conviction "outrageous" but confirmed Amaghlobeli plans to seek an appeal of her conviction. "The outrageous two-year sentence meted out to widely respected journalist Mzia Amaglobeli is emblematic of Georgia's increasing use of authoritarian tactics to strike fear into the independent media," Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, CPJ's chief global affairs officer, said in a statement. Meanwhile, CPJ claimed Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has sought to "smear" Amaglobeli as its Ministry of Internal Affairs has consistently refused to issue any comment. "Georgian authorities must end their persecution of Amaglobeli by not contesting her appeal and investigating alleged rights violations during her detention," Kaiser said.
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
Georgian journalist is convicted of slapping a police chief at a protest and gets 2 years in prison
A prominent Georgian journalist was convicted Wednesday of slapping a police chief during an anti-government protest and sentenced to two years in prison in a case that was condemned by rights groups as curbing press freedom. Mzia Amaghlobeli, who founded two of Georgia's independent media outlets, was convicted in the coastal city of Batumi. She was initially charged with assault, an offense that carried a maximum prison sentence of up to seven years, but the judge in the end found her guilty on the lighter charge of resistance, threats or violence against a defender of the public order or other government official. The case is just one of many to draw protests and international criticism in recent months as the ruling Georgian Dream party has been accused of eroding civil society and democratic rights in the South Caucasus nation. Chants of support as verdict was read A visibly gaunt Amaghlobeli, 50, heard the verdict in the Batumi City Court packed with journalists and supporters, while a protest was held outside the courthouse. Sporadic chants of 'Free Mzia!' broke out both outside the courthouse and in the courtroom. She was arrested Jan. 12, one of over 50 people taken into custody on criminal charges from a series of demonstrations in the country of 3.7 million. Video shared by Georgian media outlets showed Amaghlobeli striking Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaghlobeli said that after she was detained, Dgebuadze spat at her and tried to attack her. Her lawyer told the court she reacted emotionally after getting caught in a stampede, falling, and witnessing the arrest of those close to her. She also said a police investigation was not impartial and she did not receive a fair trial. In a closing statement Monday, Amaghlobeli described chaotic scenes at the protest. 'In a completely peaceful setting, the police suddenly appear, create chaos, and surround me with masked officers,' she said. 'As a result of strong pushes and blows from behind, I fall to the asphalt. Then they trample over me with their feet.' She added that she was abused at the police station after her arrest. She also thanked her colleagues and the activists for their continued resistance, and urged them to fight on. 'You must never lose faith in your own capabilities. There is still time. The fight continues— until victory!' she said. Western countries cite intimidation of journalists Amaghlobeli is the founder and manager of investigative news outlet Batumelebi, which covers politics, corruption and human rights in Georgia. She also founded its sister publication, Netgazeti. In a joint statement in January, 14 embassies, including those of France, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K., said Amaghlobeli's case represented 'another worrying example of the intimidation of journalists in Georgia, restricting media freedom and freedom of expression.' Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, advocacy and communications director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that Amaghlobeli's case was 'a sign of the declining environment for press freedom in Georgia and a symbol for the fight between truth and control.' 'You have to decide whether you're going to vilify journalists, criminalize them, and present them as nefarious characters with malicious intent in order to control information, or whether you're going to have a public that is truly free, freely informed and empowered,' Guillén Kaiser said. 'And that is a fundamental question for every country and for Georgia specifically right now.' Leading Georgian officials defended her arrest. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused her of seeking to fulfill a 'directive' to discredit police but did not provide proof or say who was behind it. 'She attempted to discredit the law enforcement structures, to discredit the police, but she received exactly the kind of response such actions deserve,' he said. 'Those who are trying to undermine statehood in Georgia are the ones who are upset by this. But this will not succeed — we will defend the interests of our state to the end.' Political unrest since a disputed election Georgia has seen widespread political unrest and protests since its parliamentary election on Oct. 26, which was won by Georgian Dream. Protesters and the country's opposition declared the result illegitimate amid allegations of vote-rigging aided by Russia. At the time, opposition leaders vowed to boycott sessions of parliament until a new election could be held under international supervision and alleged ballot irregularities were investigated. Nearly all the leaders of Georgia's pro-Western opposition parties have been jailed for refusing to testify at a parliamentary inquiry into alleged wrongdoing by the government of former President Mikhail Saakashvili, a probe that critics of Georgian Dream say is an act of political revenge. The critics accuse Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the party has denied. It recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Among controversial legislation passed by Georgian Dream is the so-called ' foreign influence law,' which requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as 'pursuing the interest of a foreign power.' That law later was replaced with one called the Foreign Agent's Registration Act, under which individuals or organizations considered as 'agents of a foreign principal' must register with the government or face penalties, including criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Members of civil society fear that the law's broad definition of 'foreign agent' could be used to label any critical media outlet or nongovernmental organization as acting on behalf of a foreign entity. Many independent news outlets receive grants from abroad to fund their work. 'I think that the main goal of the government was to scare us, for us to leave the country or shut down or change profession,' says Mariam Nikuradze, founder of the OC Media outlet. Most journalists still want to stay in the country, she said, and cover what she described as growing authoritarian rule. 'Everybody's being very brave and everybody's very motivated,' she said.
