Police Released Neo-Nazi Hours Before Apparent Mass Shooting Attempt
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Josh Nathan-Kazis November 21, 2018
Hours after police released a neo-Nazi arrested at a murder scene in 2017, he was caught in a car with an arsenal of weapons headed to what police suspected was an intended mass shooting, according to a major investigation from ProPublica and Frontline published on Tuesday.
The investigation reveals how officials failed to investigate a violent neo-Nazi group called Atomwaffen after one of its founders killed two of its members and then offered to help police prevent future violent attacks.
According to ProPublica, police quickly released one of the Atomwaffen members arrested at the scene of the murder. Hours later, he was arrested again, this time in a car full of weapons and ammunition.
“When we found all the weapons, we were convinced that we had just stopped a mass shooting,” Deanna Torres, one of the officers who arrested the Atomwaffen member told ProPublica.
ProPublica reports that experts see the handling of the Atomwaffen case as a sign that the federal government are lagging in confronting white supremacist terrorist groups.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
