PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal prosecutors say a former Marine from Trenton, New Jersey published social media posts saying he wanted to kill white people in a mass shooting and that he idolized serial killers and notorious mass shooters.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, 23-year-old Joshua Cobb, who is Black, admitted to planning an attack, either at a gym or supermarket in Mercer County last year.
Court documents say Cobb posted on social media in December 2022 that he wanted to "cause mayhem on the white community" and kill "as many as I possibly can." In the spring of 2023, prosecutors said Cobb posted again, this time about his hopes of becoming a serial killer.
Cobb joined the Marines last year but was discharged last week. Federal agents interviewed him in April at a military base in Southern California, where he admitted to writing the posts and planning a possible "rampage."
He also told them he "felt a connection" to notorious mass shooters and said he had access to guns, including 3D-printed weapons.
Cobb has been federally charged with transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. If guilty, the charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.
