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Firing an Assault Rifle at the White House: A Terrorist Act
Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, a 22-year-old man from Idaho Falls, Idaho, has pleaded guilty to terrorism and weapons offenses in connection with the November 2011 shooting at the White House. The attack, which put lives at risk, resulted in Ortega-Hernandez facing a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, the events unfolded like this: beginning in 2010, Ortega-Hernandez made repeated statements to many friends and associates in Idaho about his contempt for the federal government, and he espoused numerous theories regarding how the federal government was seeking to control Americans through Global Positioning System chips, fluoride, and aspartame. He also criticized the federal government for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, claiming that the United States was ‘bullying’ other countries to obtain oil.
On March 19, 2011, Ortega-Hernandez purchased a Romanian Cugir SA semi-automatic (AK-47-style) assault rifle from an individual in Idaho for $550. He also purchased more than 1,200 rounds of ammunition to use with the weapon. In August 2011, Ortega-Hernandez purchased a scope kit on the Internet and asked a friend to install it on the weapon for him. Over the course of six months, Ortega-Hernandez reloaded and reassembled the weapon multiple times.
On November 11, 2011, Ortega-Hernandez traveled to the District of Columbia and fired at least eight rounds at the White House. The bullets were recovered from the White House, and the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and Evidence Response Team were able to identify the trajectory of the shots, which furthered the investigation into Ortega-Hernandez.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. called the attack ‘terrorism, plain and simple,’ and stated that Ortega-Hernandez should expect to spend decades behind bars. The plea agreement, which provides for a total of 24 to 27 ½ years of imprisonment, also includes a sentencing enhancement under the United States Sentencing Guidelines due to the terrorist nature of the attack.
The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2014. The case was the result of a collaborative effort between the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Secret Service, and serves as a reminder that those who come to the nation’s capital bent on violence can inflict terrible damage.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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