A supporter of former President Donald Trump has pleaded guilty to intimidation with a dangerous weapon and willful injury after he fired multiple shots into a car filled with Black girls last year.
Local news station KCCI reports that 26-year-old Michael McKinney is now admitting to “causing the occupants to fear serious injury from my action” and also seriously injuring a 15-year-old girl whom he shot in the leg.
McKinney shot into the car while attending a pro-Trump rally at the Iowa Capitol building in December, exactly one month before the deadly January 6th pro-Trump riot that took place at the United States Capitol building.
“McKinney was wearing body armor and heavily armed when he participated in a pro-Trump parade of slow-moving vehicles through Des Moines on Dec. 6,” reports KCCI. “Police say he had a pistol, another firearm in his vehicle and was carrying two loaded magazines.”
Witnesses say that the girls’ car was surrounded by Trump supporters after they drove by and began taunting them. The car’s driver put the vehicle in reverse to escape the Trump supporters and struck a pickup truck, at which point McKinney drew his weapon and started firing at them.
McKinney faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for both charges he’s pleading guilty to, although in exchange prosecutors are dropping the more serious charge of attempted murder.