Neo-Nazi leader accused of inspiring school shooting, plotting NYC attack extradited to US
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
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘If they set their mind to it, could cause harm': Heightened security, tensions in DMV after antisemitic attack in Colorado
WASHINGTON () — Security has increased at Jewish buildings around the DMV following Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colo. that targeted Jewish people. 'It's everyone's nightmare,' Gil Preuss, chief executive officer of the Greater Jewish Federation of Washington, said. Capital Jewish Museum reopens week after Israeli Embassy staffers killed He's not surprised by Sunday's incident. 'The level of antisemitism now is so virulent, across the country, and we're seeing it in one attack after another,' Preuss said. Metropolitan Police Department officers set up outside the Capital Jewish Museum. Security has already been tight there following the May 21 . People continue to drop off tributes to the victims. It's a difficult time for many people, especially those who are Jewish. 'I would say as a community right now, we're very suspicious about what's going on,' said David Bloxberg, on vacation from Los Angeles. 'I don't know. I'm not sure what to say. I think it's a dangerous time to be a minority of any type.' Fairfax County police in Virginia and Montgomery County police in Maryland have also increased their presence around Jewish buildings in their communities to reduce anti-Semitic incidents. 'There are hateful, evil people out there who, if they set their mind to it, [they] could cause harm,' Preuss said. Despite the increased security, there are concerns that more attacks against Jewish people could take place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wyoming Valley Jewish community issues response to attack in Boulder, Colorado
Jun. 2—KINGSTON — The Wyoming Valley Jewish community has issued a response to the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado. The statement was released by David E. Schwager, Esq., Chair, Community Relations Council, and Jane Messinger, President, Friedman JCC. The response "We in the Wyoming Valley Jewish community are horrified by the attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting an event in support of the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas. This 'Run for Their Lives' event suffered an attack in which a makeshift flamethrower and multiple Molotov cocktails directed at participants, causing multiple injuries. "This follows the deadly antisemitic shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, just days ago and the fire-bombing of Gov. Josh Shapiro's home in Harrisburg on Passover in April. "Make no mistake, if and when Jews are targeted to protest Israel's actions, it should clearly and unequivocally be understood and condemned as antisemitism. "These attacks come alongside a broader rise in antisemitism, from hate crimes targeting Jews walking down the street, to efforts to marginalize, isolate, and discriminate against Jews, to antisemitic and white supremacist mass violence targeting synagogues and other spaces. "The Jewish community across the country was already feeling incredibly vulnerable following years of this increasingly normalized antisemitism. These recent attacks only compound that fear. "Anyone who claims to care about fundamental civil and human rights must speak out against this hate and violence, no matter where it comes from." About the Friedman JCC The Friedman Jewish Community Center is dedicated to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for individuals and families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Offering a wide range of programs and services to individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds, the Friedman JCC is committed to fostering a sense of community, promoting health and wellness, and enriching lives through cultural, educational and recreational activities. — Staff Report
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘Horrifying': Mid-Michigan Jewish community reacts to Colorado attack
LANSING, (Mich.) WLNS — Jewish people across America continue to react to an in Colorado calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, which injured 12 people. This includes many in Mid-Michigan, who are concerned with what they call a pattern of antisemitic rhetoric. What we know about the man charged in the attack in Boulder, Colorado Matthew Zivian, a Jewish East Lansing resident and a recent Michigan State graduate, says attacks like this hit close to home. He described Jews across the country as 'one big connected community.' He said he's seen antisemitic slogans and phrasing right here in East Lansing, and worries that if an attack like this can happen in Colorado, it can happen here. Jews in Mid-Michigan want to see anti-Semitic phrases being publicly called out. Zivian worries that if anti-Semitic hate speech goes unchecked, it will lead to violence. 4 additional victims identified in Boulder attack, bringing number of injured to 12 'It's a trend that we've seen all throughout history. So when it happens here, it's horrifying, and terrible, and disgusting, but it's no shock,' says Zivian. 'You need to call out antisemitism when you see it and listen to your Jewish friends who are saying, 'what I am seeing is making me uncomfortable,'' said Zivian. Zivian said he has no choice but to stay optimistic that, in the future, these acts of violence against the Jewish community will stop. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
