In Charlottesville, Virginia, America bore witness to a torch lit procession of White hate group members marching across the campus of the University of Virginia. The next day, a wider protest by these hate mongering groups led to chaos, injury and the death of one woman, Heather Heyer.
These acts of hate are no longer an isolated incident; they have been occurring with an increasing frequency. Here are some of the most violent race attacks against people of color, so far in 2017.
Members of the Ku Klux Klan were arrested for stabbing three people in Anaheim, California. The incident took place on Feb. 27 when several members of the KKK decided to hold a rally to speak out against illegal immigrants and Muslims at Pearson Park.
HBCU student Richard Collins III killed by White supremacist days before graduation
Richard Collins III was set to become a graduate of Bowie State University on May 23. But Collins, 23, lost his life after an encounter with a racist. According to the Baltimore Sun, Collins and his two friends were waiting for an Uber around 3 a.m. when they were approached by Sean Urbanski, 22. Before Urbanski walked by the group, he allegedly yelled, “Step left, step left if you know what’s best for you!” Collins told Urbanski, “no.” Apparently frustrated that a Black person would not comply with his order, Urbanski turned violent. Urbanski stabbed Collins in the chest.
Racist shoots up pool party, singles out Black guests
A pool party on a warm California day turned into a mass shooting horror for guests. The shooting occurred at the upscale La Jolla Crossroads Apartments in San Diego. Partygoers were having a great time and noticed a White man sitting in a chair, drinking a beer and staying apart from the activities. Some of the guests even offered him food and drink, it was reported. Around 6 p.m., witnesses stated that the man, now identified as Peter Selis, 49, got up from his chair, pulled out a gun and started shooting Black people in the pool. Chaos erupted as the crowd attempted to flee the area. There was a brief pause as Selis, holding a can of beer, reloaded his gun and started shooting again.
Racist guns down men he thought were Middle Eastern
A man shouting racial slurs gunned down three men, killing one. The shooting occurred in Olathe, Kansas, in the parking lot of Austin’s Bar and Grille on Feb. 22. According to police, U.S. Navy veteran Adam Purinton, 51, had heated words inside the restaurant and the encounter spilled out into the parking lot. According to witnesses, Purinton followed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and Alok Madasani, 32, produced a gun and yelled, “Get out of my country!” and opened fire. When Ian Grillot, 24, attempted to intervene, he was also shot by Purinton. The shooter then fled the scene and a police manhunt began. Kuchibhotla died at a local hospital from his injuries while Madasani and Grillot were treated for their injuries. Madasani was released Thursday from a hospital, and Grillot is still hospitalized but improving. Purinton showed up hours later at an Appleby’s restaurant in Clinton, Missouri, where according to a bartender he stated that he needed a place to hide out because he had just killed two Middle Eastern men. The restaurant employee called police and Purinton was later taken into custody without incident.
White terrorist, Trump supporter kills 2 people after yelling anti-Muslim slurs
In May 2017, Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, appeared in court on charges of killing two men on a Portland, Oregon, train. The courtroom was packed as Christian entered and the racist killer shouted, “Free speech or die Portland, you got no safe space. This is America, get out if you don’t like free speech!” The White supremacist continued a vile rant of hate as charges of two counts of aggravated murder, attempted murder, two counts of second-degree intimidation and a felon in possession of a weapon were read by the court clerk. The racist killer yelled, “You call it terrorism, I call it patriotism” and “death to the enemies of America, leave this country if you hate our freedom.” These are familiar refrains from White supremacists and some die-hard Trump supporters. It was a peek into the mindset of hate that has become an all-too-frequent item feeding the news cycle during the presidency of Donald Trump.
