A 58-year-old man, Douglas Wayne Cornett, from Spotsylvania, Virginia, has pleaded guilty to two federal hate crimes involving the attempted murder of two Latino men. He is facing up to life in prison for his actions, which were motivated by his anger over illegal immigration.
The incident occurred on February 28, 2024, when Cornett followed a white box truck being driven by one of the victims, Victim 1, on Interstate 95. After the truck pulled into a gas station, Cornett continued to follow, and Victim 2, a friend of the first victim, arrived to ask Cornett why he was tailing the vehicle.
Cornett responded by asking how long Victim 1 had been in the United States and, upon learning that he had been in the country for about a year and a half, Cornett pulled out a handgun and opened fire, hitting both victims.
Cornett fired six rounds, with four of the bullets striking the two men. Victim 1 was hit twice in the stomach and once in the arm, while Victim 2 was shot once in the stomach. After the shooting, Cornett drove home and admitted to his roommates that he had shot the two men, stating, “my intentions were clear in my brain, at the time.”
Investigators quickly identified Cornett as the shooter, and he was arrested on February 29, 2024. In an interview with detectives, Cornett confessed that his anger was fueled by illegal immigration and undocumented migrants receiving welfare, stating he was “pissed” about it.
He also expressed violent fantasies, including thoughts of using a helicopter gunship to attack undocumented migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Cornett’s housemates revealed to investigators that he was a heavy consumer of cable television news, particularly focused on the issue of non-citizens entering the U.S. at the southern border. He was reportedly “obsessed” with the topic.
Federal authorities were quick to respond, emphasizing that crimes like Cornett’s not only harm the victims but also undermine the fabric of society. Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, reiterated the FBI’s commitment to investigating hate crimes thoroughly.
Cornett will be sentenced on November 13, 2025, and is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison for his actions.
