Prosecutors are describing an arrested Silver Spring Coast Guard lieutenant as a “domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect governmental conduct,” and allege that he stockpiled weapons as he plotted to murder Democratic politicians, left-leaning activists, and journalists. Here’s what we know about Christopher Paul Hasson, based on court documents from the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

• Hasson, a 49-year-old acquisitions officer at the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent two years on active duty in the Army National Guard. The Coast Guard confirmed that he was an active duty member, saying in a statement that “because this is an open investigation, the Coast Guard has no further details at this time.” Hasson was arrested on February 15 for drug and gun charges, but prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney’s Office allege that those charges are merely the “tip of the iceberg.” The bulk of the detention memo lays out the case for why Hasson should remain detained over concerns for the safety of “any other person or the community writ large.”
• In a deleted draft email in June 2017, Hasson wrote that he was “dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth,” per court documents, and mused that “a plague would be most successful,” but also considered starting “with biological attacks followed by attack on food supply … institute a bombing/sniper campaign.” Why? He wrote that “Liberalist/globalist ideology is destroying traditional peoples esp white … Much blood will have to be spilled to get whitey off the couch … Have to take serious look at appropriate individual targets to bring greatest impact. Professors, DR’s, politician’s [sic], Judges, leftists in general … During unrest target both sides to increase tension. In other words provoke gov/police to over react [sic] which should help to escalate violence.”
• He also reached out to a “known American neo-Nazi leader” that September, per prosecutors, describing himself as a “long time White Nationalist, having been a skinhead 30 plus years ago before my time in the military.” The correspondence occurred shortly after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, and Hasson allegedly wrote, “I never saw a reason for mass protest or wearing uniforms marching around provoking people with swastikas etc. I was and am a man of action you cannot change minds protesting like that. However you can make change with a little focused violence.”
• Since 2017, Hasson read a manifesto written by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, which claimed that Muslim immigration was destroying European countries. To stop Muslims from immigrating, Breivik advocated targeting influential politicians, journalists, professors, and other “Cultural Marxists” with violence, particularly those without armed guards. Prosecutors say Hasson was following the instructions from the Breivik manifesto, which include stockpiling necessary materials: firearms, survival supplies, food, and disguises. During a federal search warrant performed at Hasson’s Silver Spring basement this month, officers found 15 firearms and more than 1,000 rounds of mixed ammunition, per court documents. Prosecutors include a list showing Hasson spending at least $3,780 on firearm equipment over the past two years.
• Hasson was also researching which influential individuals to target with acts of violence, court documents allege. Last February, he performed searches online like “where do most senators live in dc” and “are supreme court justices protected.” The documents show that after Hasson saw a headline in which MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough referred to President Donald Trump as “the worst ever,” and proceeded to search for Scarborough, reviewing his Wikipedia page and personal website, and then searching “where is morning joe filmed” along with finding the host’s previous home. Other individuals on a January 2019 spreadsheet, which prosecutors allege are all targets for an attack, include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Senators Tim Kaine, Richard Blumenthal (who he called “blumen jew”), and Chuck Schumer; presidential candidates like Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker; Representatives Maxine Waters, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Sheila Jackson Lee; former Rep. Beto O’Rourke; and television hosts Scarborough, Chris Hayes, Ari Melber, Chris Cuomo, Van Jones, and Don Lemon. He also includes the Democratic Socialists of America on the list, per evidence.
• Prosecutors say Hasson was also stockpiling narcotics to “increase his ability to conduct attacks,” and agents found more than 30 bottles labeled as human growth hormone. Breivik’s manifesto advocates for the use of steroids. He also purchased more than 4,200 tablets of opioid painkiller Tramadol and synthetic urine, per court documents.

Hasson is currently in government custody. After appearing in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on February 21, he was ordered held for two weeks as the government considers additional charges. His arrest comes shortly after a 30-year-old Bloomingdale resident was arrested on gun charges after fantasizing about “murdering Jews and blacks.”

Dominique Bonessi contributed reporting to this story. This story has been updated to reflect the judge’s order on Thursday for Hasson to be held for two weeks.