By Ian Simpson
WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The suspect in a shooting at a conservative Christian lobbying group in Washington this week will appear in court on Thursday.
Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, of Herndon, Virginia, is in FBI custody for Wednesday's wounding of a security guard at the offices of the Family Research Council in downtown Washington.
Corkins faces a District of Columbia charge of assault with intent to kill while armed, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement. He was also charged with the federal offense of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition.
He will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday afternoon.
Corkins is in FBI custody as part of a probe into whether the shooting could be considered a hate crime, the FBI has said.
The Family Research Council strongly opposes same-sex marriage and abortion. Corkins had worked as a volunteer at a Washington center for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people.
Police say a security guard confronted Corkins when he entered the lobby of the Family Research Council offices. Corkins shot him in the arm and was wrestled to the ground by guards.
Television station NBC4 reported on Wednesday that Corkins was armed with a 9 mm handgun. Police also found two loaded magazines with 15 rounds each in his backpack, as well as promotional material for Chick-fil-A, a fast food chain.
Chick-fil-A has been embroiled in controversy about same-sex marriage since the president of the company, Dan Cathy, took a public stand against gay marriage.
Corkins faces up to 10 years in prison for the federal weapons charge and up to 30 years for the District of Columbia offense. The District of Columbia charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by David Brunnstrom)
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