Man Convicted on Hate Crime Charge for Threatening Woman with Homophobic Slurs

A Montana man was convicted on federal hate crime and firearm charges after prosecutors said he threatened a woman with violent, homophobic slurs and fired at her house with an AK-47 rifle as part of an alleged “mission” to rid a small town of its lesbian and gay community.

John Russell Howald of Basin was found guilty Friday following a four day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Helena.

Defense attorney Colin Stephens said Sunday that an appeal is planned.

Prosecutors said Howald attempted to kill the woman in the small town of Basin in March 2020 when he walked up her house and shot into it. Howald allegedly said he wanted to “get rid of the lesbians (and) gays” in the town and was armed with three rifles and two pistols.

Read the source article at foxnews.com