New breed of white supremacists in US

FORGET the tattooed redneck or the guy in a KKK hood. White supremacists are more likely to be the nice kid next door.

RACISM comes in all shapes and sizes but stereotypically the face of white supremacy in the US has always been the tattoo-covered, middle-aged, redneck man.

And while this breed of far-right extremist still exists, these days the poster boys for this ingrained hatred are younger, clean-cut, technically savvy and could pass for the boy next door.

Of the many examples showcasing this new breed of white supremacist is one that’s gripping the US — the case against four young Minneapolis men who fired shots into a Black Lives Matter protest in Hennepin County, injuring five people.

The rally was being held over the death of Jamar Clark, 24, who was unarmed when he was shot in the head by police. Eyewitnesses and his family claim he was handcuffed at the time of the “execution-style” shooting, The Guardian reported.

According to a police report, the young men, led by Allen Lawrence Scarsella, went to the protest armed, wearing camouflage gear and masks. They had intended to live stream the event then allegedly made racial slurs against some of the protesters, which led to clashes.

Scarsella, a 23-year-old former high school football player, is accused of firing the shots that injured the five people. He has been charged with five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of second-degree rioting with a dangerous weapon. He is being held on $500,000 bail.

The other three, Joseph Martin Backman, 27, Nathan Wayne Gustavsson, 21, and Daniel Thomas Macey, 26, were each charged with second-degree rioting while armed. They are being held on $250,000 bail.

However none of the four have been charged with hate crimes despite the police confirming they believe the attack was racially motivated.

Hennepin County lawyer Mike Freeman told reporters at a press conference that video seized from the accused confirmed this.

“The language they use and how they talk about fellow Americans, citizens, people — is just not acceptable,” Freeman said, adding the current charges carried more potential penalties than hate crime charges would.

The police report said investigators viewed a message chain on the 4chan website that showed the four discussing going to the protest to “stir things up” and “cause commotion”. Participants were told to “feel free to carry (firearms)”, according to the complaint.

All four are expected to appear in court in January.

The stereotypical white supremacist.

Hunter M Park, one of the new breed of white supremacist in the US. Picture: Boone County Sheriff Department via AP

And while the Minneapolis four have yet to be charged with hate crimes, two more young US men have been.

Hunter Park and Connor Stottlemyre were arrested for posting threats to kill black people at two different universities. They have both been charged with making terrorist threats.

Park, a 19-year-old computer science student allegedly posted an anonymous vow on social media app Yik Yak that he planned “to shoot every black person I see”, at the University of Missouri, according to the New York Daily News.

The app is popular with US university students as it allows them to post jokes, information about parties and news anonymously, although it does record your phone number when you sign up.

“I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see,” Park allegedly wrote. “Some of you are alright (sic).

“Don’t go to campus tomorrow.

“We’re waiting for you at the parking lots. We will kill you.”

The posts sparked widespread fear across the university.

Police arrested Park the following day.

Stottlemyre is accused of using the Yik Yak app to post threats against fellow African American students at Northwest Missouri State University.

He allegedly wrote in November: “I’m gonna shoot any black pp tomorrow so be ready.”

Prosecutors say Stottlemyre followed up by posting, “I love evil, I can’t wait for Northwest to make the news tomorrow”, Fox4kc.com reported.

He was arrested and charged for allegedly making threats against black people using the social media messaging app Yik Yak. If convicted, he could face up to four years in jail. He is due back in court on December 22.

Charleston church killer Dylann Storm Roof. Picture: AP/Chuck Burton

However the worst of this new breed of white supremacist has to be Dylann Roof, who massacred nine black people when he opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17.

Among those killed during the Bible study session was the church’s pastor and state senator, Reverend Clementa Pinckney.

In the aftermath of the shooting, photos emerged online of the baby-faced 21-year-old high-school dropout holding the Confederate flag (often associated with US white supremacists and considered a symbol of slavery).

A manifesto supposedly written by Roof reportedly also appeared online, in which he detailed his racist beliefs.

Like his white supremacist peers, Roof visited white supremacist message boards and websites and decided he was tired of talking about hate when he had the power to actually act on it, the New York Daily News reported.

Roof is facing 33 charges, including murder, attempted murder, hate crime offences and religious freedom violations. He could also face the death penalty.

In September, Charleston County solicitor Scarlett Wilson told reporters she would be seeking the death penalty.

“This was the ultimate crime and justice from our state calls for the ultimate punishment,” she said.

Dylann Roof at a bond hearing court in North Charleston in June. He is accused of killing nine people inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Picture: Grace Beahm/The Post And Courier via AP