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FBI Says It Shot Man Who Planned To Attack A Hospital In Greater Kansas City

The FBI says it shot and killed a man who planned to detonate a bomb at a Kansas City-area hospital.
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The FBI says it shot and killed a man who planned to detonate a bomb at a Kansas City-area hospital.

FBI officials say a man they shot and killed Tuesday in Belton was the suspect in a "long-running domestic terrorism investigation" who planned to attack a Kansas City-area hospital with a car bomb.

In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, the bureau's Kansas City office wrote that Timothy Wilson, 36, had been "actively planning to commit an act of domestic terrorism" over several months, and had considered several targets before settling on an area hospital.

Officials said Wilson was motivated by "racial, religious and anti-government animus." He did not yet have a bomb, but had "taken the necessary steps to acquire materials needed to build an explosive device," officials wrote. He decided to accelerate his plans due to the coronavirus health crisis, according to the release.

Wilson was shot while federal agents attempted to arrest him on the 100 block of Wilbur Parish Circle in Belton. Officials say he was armed. He later died at an area hospital.

Officials say they "kept close track of Wilson" throughout the investigation in order to protect public safety.  

Tuesday's shooting follows a Feb. 26 incident where FBI agents were involved in a raid where a man was shot and killed in midtown Kansas City.

Chris Haxel is a reporter for KCUR 89.3. Email him at chaxel@kcur.org, and follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.

Copyright 2020 KCUR 89.3

Chris comes to KCUR as part of Guns & America, a reporting collaboration between 10 public media stations that is focused on the role of guns in American life. Hailing from Springfield, Illinois, Chris has lived in seven states and four counties. He previously served in the Army, and reported for newspapers in Kansas and Michigan. Chris lives in downtown Kansas City. He roots for St. Louis sports teams, which means he no longer cares about the NFL.