Ex-Marine eyed San Fran attack for Christmas

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The FBI said Friday that it found a martyrdom letter and several guns in the home of a former Marine who said he wanted to carry out a Christmas Day attack on a popular San Francisco tourist destination.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, a Modesto tow-truck driver, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. It was not clear if he had an attorney.

Jameson told an undercover agent he believed to be associated with senior leadership of the Islamic State group that he wanted to conduct a violent attack on Pier 39 in San Francisco because it was heavily crowded, according to an FBI affidavit.

He said Christmas Day would be “the perfect day to commit the attack” and that he “did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die,” according to the affidavit.

Pier 39, packed with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops, is one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist spots. Home to the city’s aquarium, the pier offers free live music and street performances and offers a good spot to photograph sea lions that gather in the marina below.