A U.S. Army washout who identified as a so-called involuntary celibate plotted to “slaughter” women in a mass shooting at an unnamed Ohio university, with the goal of killing some 3,000 people after receiving his military training, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court.
Tres Genco, 21, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of attempting to commit a hate crime and one count of illegally possessing a machine gun, prosecutors announced. He described himself as an “incel,” which court filings describe as someone who advocates “violence in support of their belief that women unjustly deny them sexual or romantic attention to which they believe they are entitled.”
Genco was allegedly inspired by California “incel” Elliot Rodger, who in 2014 killed six people and injured 14 in a series of deadly attacks outside a Santa Barbara sorority house. Rodger has become a twisted hero of sorts to other angry young men, including Genco, according to the indictment. Last year, a Virginia man who wrote in a note that he wanted to “make a statement like Elliot Rodgers [sic] did,” blew off his own hand while building a homemade bomb.
A Twitter profile in Genco’s name suggests he attended Ohio University. However, university spokeswoman Carly Leatherwood told The Daily Beast that Genco was never a student.
