A Virginia man who launched a violent attack on two Latino men at a gas station earlier this year has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges, following what authorities have described as a premeditated act of racial violence.
Virginia man stalks Latino truck driver
Douglas Wayne Cornett admitted guilt last week to two federal hate crime charges for attempted murder, and an additional count for discharging a firearm during a federal violent offense.
“Crimes like Douglas Cornett’s, acts of hate motivated violence, victimize not just the individual, but harm families, communities, and groups by robbing them of their sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“Every person has a right to live free of the fear of violence and the menace of hate, and my office is committed to eliminating both.”
Court records reveal that on the night of February 28, 2024, Cornett left his home in Spotsylvania carrying a 9 mm handgun loaded with a 17-round magazine.
Around 9 p.m., he came across a white box truck traveling on Interstate 95.
That truck, driven by a man identified in court documents as Victim 1, became Cornett’s target.
Cornett began tailing the truck, even after the driver made room for him to pass.
When the truck exited the highway and pulled into a nearby gas station, Cornett followed.
Victim 1, sensing something was wrong, called a friend, Victim 2, who soon showed up to confront Cornett.
Victim 2, also described as an adult Latino man, asked Cornett why he had been following the vehicle.
Cornett responded with a question of his own: how long Victim 1 had been living in the U.S. When told it had been about a year and a half, Cornett reacted violently.
Without warning, Cornett drew a Sig Sauer P320 handgun and fired six shots from inside his vehicle.
Four bullets struck the victims. Victim 1 was hit twice in the stomach and once in the arm. Victim 2 was shot in the abdomen.
Virginia man bragged about crime
Cornett then left the gas station and returned home. Once there, he told his roommates he had just shot two people.
He was taken into custody the next day, February 29. According to the criminal complaint, Cornett confessed to law enforcement during questioning, stating, “my intentions were clear in my brain, at the time.”
Detectives detailed Cornett’s reasoning in the court filings. “Cornett then described his anger at illegal immigration, telling the detective that he was ‘pissed’ about undocumented migrants receiving welfare funds, phones, and health insurance, and that he had ‘driven around before with the same thought,'” the documents noted.
Cornett even questioned the detective if he could be “charged for my thoughts,” and described fantasies of piloting an Apache helicopter to the border to gun down migrants in an effort “to deter” others from crossing.
Interviews with Cornett’s housemates offered more insight into his state of mind.
They described the Virginia man as a “heavy consumer of cable television news” and said he had become “kind of obsessed” with stories about immigration and border security.
Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, responded to the case by saying, “Hate crimes not only harm individuals but undermine the fabric of our communities.”
“FBI Richmond is steadfast in its dedication to investigating these violations thoroughly and swiftly to ensure justice for the victims and to protect the American people,” he added.
Cornett could face life behind bars when he appears for sentencing on November 13, 2025.
Neighbor kills victim he previously assaulted
Meanwhile, in Texas, a deadly confrontation involving a lawn mower and a long-standing grudge has ended with the arrest of a suspect with a violent past.
Beaumont Police reported the arrest of 54-year-old Larry Fitzgerald Williams, who is accused of fatally shooting 51-year-old Brian Lewis while he mowed his lawn on Saturday.
Authorities said Williams was captured on surveillance cameras fleeing the scene on a motorcycle shortly after the 1:44 p.m. shooting.
He was taken into police custody on Monday in Houston after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest.
Investigators say the two men had a history. According to a probable cause affidavit, Williams was previously accused of severely beating Lewis in 2024.
He used brass knuckles during the attack, which sent Lewis to the intensive care unit for several weeks. That case was still pending, and the trial was slated to begin next month.
The affidavit also revealed that “Williams had made multiple statements that Lewis needed to drop charges or Williams would kill Lewis.”
Beaumont Police said that on the day of the shooting, Lewis was outside on a riding mower when he was gunned down. He died at the scene.
One minute later, police camera systems spotted a suspect on a motorcycle, closely matching Williams’ description.
Officials said the motive appears linked to the earlier criminal case. “Williams allegedly targeted the victim because he was cooperating in a criminal case against him,” according to the department.
Williams later turned himself in to authorities. His bond was set at $10 million.
