A Black discharged marine was arrested on Friday, after he allegedly threatened to "specifically" target white people in a mass shooting because he felt that they would "never understand" his struggles.
Joshua Cobb, 23, was originally from New Jersey but was stationed in South Carolina and California before he was discharged from the military on May 10. While posting under the username "1dayUsuffer" he wrote about a desire to kill others, especially white people, and said he was deliberately leaving a trail of evidence for the people who investigated his case.
"Tbh I hope I do progress into a serial killer because I f-ing hate life man," he wrote in the spring of 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. "But one day everyone will suffer. I promise I will make everyone feel my f-ing pain. My deep, sincere, raw, & sharp pain."
Cobb implied on social media posts that he came from an impoverished background, writing that the "system" was stacked against "those like myself who are BLACK & come from poverty," according to NBC News.
In a December 2022 social media post, Cobb allegedly wrote that he wanted to "cause mayhem on the white community" and hoped to carry out an attack "close to an important holiday to their race." He added that he'd visited a possible location for the attack on several occasions and was confident that "nobody there is armed to be able to stop me from spraying them to the ground."
The FBI questioned Cobb while he was stationed in California. During the interviews, Cobb reportedly admitted he continued to have homicidal thoughts and that he was responsible for making several threatening online statements. He also told officials about his access to guns and his planned targets - a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville, New Jersey, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.
Law enforcement also searched Cobb's cell phone and discovered that he had made notes indicating that he was both suicidal and homicidal. The notes also allegedly included information on how to bring guns into New Jersey.
"I hate all of this s-t and I feel like my only way out of the pain and suffering is by exploding," he wrote. "So I await... I await that moment so I can make those moments final. For whomever... myself or a victim."
Cobb was charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. If convicted he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
