2017 Fresno shootings
Views and statements
### Views and statements

Muhammad maintained two Facebook profiles and a [Twitter](/wiki/Twitter "Twitter") account, all in which he paid homage to [black pride](/wiki/Black_pride "Black pride") and [black nationalism](/wiki/Black_nationalism "Black nationalism"). His profile depicted images of a [Black Power](/wiki/Black_Power "Black Power") [salute](/wiki/Raised_fist "Raised fist") and [a flag](/wiki/Pan-African_flag "Pan-African flag") associated with the [Pan\-Africanism](/wiki/Pan-Africanism "Pan-Africanism") movement. According to police, he "expressed hatred of whites" and the government. Muhammad made posts about [the murders of five Dallas police officers](/wiki/2016_shooting_of_Dallas_police_officers "2016 shooting of Dallas police officers"), in which he praised the shooter Micah Xavier Johnson. He also consistently used the [hashtag](/wiki/Hashtag "Hashtag") "\#LetBlackPeopleGo" and encouraged "black warriors" to "mount up". Muhammad's father described his son's belief that there was an ongoing war between whites and blacks, and that "a battle was about to take place." He later said that he attempted to warn Muhammad's probation officer about his son's hatred of white people and his plans of killing them, but believes no one followed up on his report.

In a phone interview with an ABC News affiliate in downtown Fresno Jail, Kori Ali Muhammad spoke about his motives for the killings. Muhammad spoke about his hatred for [white people](/wiki/White_people "White people") and especially white men. Muhammad stated that "someone has to fight for them. Someone has to fight for all the people that died at the hands of racist white men." 
Muhammad was initially wanted by [Fresno](/wiki/Fresno "Fresno") police for the death of Carl Williams, a security guard he killed a few days before his shooting spree. Muhammad added that "I was actually going to turn myself in. Then I started thinking about the missing black women and children... started thinking about Flint Michigan... started thinking about the crack cocaine epidemic... started thinking about all the injustices and atrocities that my people go through. That's why I snapped. I wasn't thinking like I'm going to kill, kill, kill, all I know was that white supremacy has to die and people that benefit most from white supremacy are white men."
Muhammad believed himself to be a martyr saying "I gave my life for the freedom of people. The ultimate freedom of my people."
Muhammad stated that "Considering the crime I did, I can live with having to be in jail, like I know what I did was wrong." When asked if he regretted killing four people Muhammad stated that he did not.

In Muhammad's [capital punishment](/wiki/Capital_punishment "Capital punishment") trial, Muhammad chose to testify and answer questions about his killing spree. When asked if he intended to kill a white man, Zachary Randalls in the [PG\&E](/wiki/PG%26E "PG&E") truck, Muhammad stated that "I wanted to kill them, yes". Muhammad kept alluding to his own version of ancient [religious](/wiki/Religious "Religious") prophesies. Muhammad stated that "God is going to destroy white men in particular, specifically. It was written 25,000 years ago that this had to happen." Muhammad also compared his killings to the [coronavirus](/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus_2 "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2"), stating that he shot Mark Gassett when he was on the ground to make sure he was dead. Muhammad stated "I wanted to kill him, just like the coronavirus is killing white men right now."

During testimony, Muhammad claimed he was a god, and stated that God would destroy America if African\-Americans were not given reparations. He also claimed to take credit for the destruction of [Paradise, California](/wiki/Paradise%2C_California "Paradise, California") during the 2018 [Camp Fire (2018\)](/wiki/Camp_Fire_%282018%29 "Camp Fire (2018)").

After Muhammad's sentencing by the judge in the [murder](/wiki/Murder "Murder") trial, statements were read in the courtroom by family members and friends of the victims. Muhammad left the courtroom during the statements, and later came back to give his own statement. Muhammad responded by initially offering condolences, and then talking about land and reparations for African Americans. Muhammad's comments did not sit well with members of the audience and some family members angrily proclaimed for Muhammad to suffer for the rest of his life. Muhammad responded back, taunting the victims by blowing kisses.

According to *[The Daily Beast](/wiki/The_Daily_Beast "The Daily Beast")*, Muhammad's posts indicated a support of the [Moorish Science Temple of America](/wiki/Moorish_Science_Temple_of_America "Moorish Science Temple of America"), an [African American](/wiki/African_Americans "African Americans") organization associated with the [sovereign citizen movement](/wiki/Sovereign_citizen_movement "Sovereign citizen movement"), which advocated few beliefs similar to those of mainstream [Islam](/wiki/Islam "Islam"). Brian Levin, director of [Cal State San Bernardino](/wiki/California_State_University%2C_San_Bernardino "California State University, San Bernardino")'s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said that Muhammad's social media posts made multiple references to terms used by the [Nation of Islam](/wiki/Nation_of_Islam "Nation of Islam") (NOI), a [black supremacist](/wiki/Black_supremacist "Black supremacist") organization labeled as a [hate group](/wiki/Hate_group "Hate group") by the [Southern Poverty Law Center](/wiki/Southern_Poverty_Law_Center "Southern Poverty Law Center") and the [Anti\-Defamation League](/wiki/Anti-Defamation_League "Anti-Defamation League"). Muhammad made references to "grafted white devils", an expression frequently used in the Nation of Islam to describe [white people](/wiki/White_people "White people"), and "Yakub", the villainous figure responsible for creating white people in the Nation of Islam. 
Muhammad said he drew inspiration from [Wallace Fard Muhammad](/wiki/Wallace_Fard_Muhammad "Wallace Fard Muhammad"), an important figure in the Nation of Islam. Muhammad's relatives said that he "became involved" with the NOI when he was younger, but did not clarify what kind of role the group played in his life during his imprisonment and after his release.

Muhammad's beliefs included a mixture of the Nation of Islam and also [voodoo](/wiki/Louisiana_Voodoo "Louisiana Voodoo") which he said is called Kali Sufi. He used amulets and necklaces for his voodoo religion, and referred to himself as a god.

In February, Muhammad released two [hip hop](/wiki/Hip_hop_music "Hip hop music") albums on [iTunes](/wiki/ITunes "ITunes") and [YouTube](/wiki/YouTube "YouTube") under the name of **B\-God MacSun**. the *[Los Angeles Times](/wiki/Los_Angeles_Times "Los Angeles Times")* noted that Muhammad sang that he was an "[Asiatic](/wiki/Asia "Asia") black god", and that the album's contents "repeatedly references violence between black and white people."

In addition, Muhammad produced a music\-themed talk show at the Community Media Access Collaborative, a [nonprofit organization](/wiki/Nonprofit_organization "Nonprofit organization") specializing in promoting people and companies through the use of media. Muhammad's talk show ran for four episodes, which were produced between May 12, 2015, and October 10, 2016\. In that talk show, he claimed that he had joined a Sacramento gang at the age of nine, the "black liberation movement" at the age of fourteen, and the NOI later on in his teens. The organization's director of operations described Muhammad, a frequenter at the facility, as "kind and curious" to the staff. However, a former friend who met Muhammad at the facility, but later removed him from his [friended](/wiki/Friending_and_following "Friending and following") list on Facebook, described him as "intense and unnerving"

An [imam](/wiki/Imam "Imam") at a local mosque said that Muhammad was not a member of his congregation. Following his arrest, Muhammad affirmed to officers that he is Muslim, but that he had not been to a mosque in 25 years and that he prays to a total of seven different deities. He also told officers that he was not officially affiliated with any terrorist groups.


How does Muhammad's use of amulets and necklaces relate to his religious beliefs?