Ohio Man Charged with Plot to Conduct Mass Shooting of Women

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated July 21, 2021, Tres Genco, 21, of Hillsboro, Ohio was charged with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and with illegally possessing a machine gun.

Genco, a self-identified “incel,” allegedly planned to shoot women at sororities at a university in Ohio. The incel, or “involuntary celibates,”movement is an online community of men who harbor hatred towards women who reject them sexually or romantically. Some incels plan to commit acts of violence against women based on their belief that women owe them romantic or sexual attention.

Genco maintained profiles on top incel websites and posted frequently, according to the indictment. Genco compared his desires with that of incel Elliot Rodger, who killed six people and injured 14 others outside of a University of California, Santa Barbara sorority house in 2014.

In a written manifesto, Genco allegedly wrote he wanted to “slaughter” women out of hatred and jealousy. Furthermore, Genco allegedly said he wanted to kill over 3,000 people and planned to attend military training. Investigators found that the day he wrote his manifesto, Genco searched online for sororities and a university in Ohio.

In 2019, Genco allegedly purchased tactical gear including a bulletproof vest, a hoodie bearing the word “revenge,” cargo pants, a bowie knife, a skull facemask, two Glock 17 magazines. He also attended Army Basic Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, from August through December 2019.

Genco is charged with one count of attempting to commit a hate crime which, because it involved an attempt to kill, is punishable by up to life in prison, and one count of illegally possessing a machine gun, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He was arrested by federal agents on July 21, 2021.