WASHINGTON (AFP) - United States agents on Wednesday (July 21) arrested a 21-year-old self-professed member of the misogynistic "incel" movement suspected of planning a mass shooting targeting female students at an Ohio university.

       Tres Genco, who has self-identified as being part of the "incel", or involuntary celibate subculture, was arrested in March 2020 with illegal weapons, having posted numerous messages expressing hate towards women on an incel website, a Justice Department statement said.

       Genco allegedly wrote a manifesto in which he said he would "slaughter" women "out of hatred, jealousy and revenge", according to the indictment.

       The day he wrote the manifesto, the investigation found, Genco searched online for sororities and a university in Ohio.

       He also conducted surveillance at an Ohio university, the statement said.

       In another note recovered by law enforcement, Genco said he wanted to "aim big" and kill 3,000 people, the statement added.

       In 2019, he allegedly bought tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest, a hoodie printed with the word "revenge," a bowie knife, a skull face mask and ammunition.

       For several months in 2019, he attended army basic training in the state of Georgia.

       Last year, Genco was sentenced to 17 months in prison for "terrorist threats" by a court in Ohio.

       He was released in January and rearrested by federal agents on Wednesday. He was found to be in possession of a weapon equipped with a rapid fire device.

       A federal grand jury charged Genco with attempting to commit a hate crime and illegally possessing a machine gun, the statement said.

       Due to his alleged intent to kill, Genco could face life in prison for the hate crime charge.

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