The 40-year-old wanted to chase LGBT + residents from his city. A resident of the US state of Montana has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for firing shots at the home of a lesbian, local authorities announced on Wednesday. In February, John Howald, 46, was found guilty by a federal jury of hate crimes and firearms offenses after a four-day trial.
“Howald set out to rid the city of all of its LGBTQ+ residents by killing them,” said Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. “He fired shots at the home of a lesbian resident, nearly killing her, hoping to inspire similar attacks across the country,” she added in a statement.
A bloodbath avoided
John Howald, who was armed with two assault rifles and other firearms during his March 2020 tantrum, then sought out other members of the lesbian, queer and gay community in the small town of Basin from the center of this northwestern American state, according to the Department of Justice.
“Only the heroic acts of residents and law enforcement, coupled with a good deal of luck, prevented a targeted shooting,” said prosecutor Jesse Laslovich. Judge Brian Morris sentenced him on Tuesday to 18 years in prison, followed by five years of probation.