Three men charged with attempted murder of protesters at Florida white supremacist speech

Three men were arrested and charged with attempted homicide after confronting and firing toward protesters outside of a white nationalist’s speech at the University of Florida, police said Friday. 

Supporters of Richard Spencer, the white supremacist who gave a highly controversial speech at the university on Thursday, allegedly confronted protesters in a silver Jeep near a bus stop outside of the event. 

Tyler Tenbrink, 28, reportedly came out of the vehicle wielding a gun after one of the protesters hit the Jeep with a baton. 

Two others — Colton Fears, 28, and his brother William Fears, 30 — followed Tenbrink out of the vehicle, displaying Nazi salutes and urging him to “shoot them” and “kill them,” according to an arrest report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department.

THREE IN CUSTODY for yesterday’s 34th/Archer Road shooting.

Press Release: https://t.co/FcFNHkPXVw

Arrest Reports: https://t.co/JLIx0csK05 pic.twitter.com/NVWJZsvyAi

— Gainesville Police (@GainesvillePD) October 20, 2017

Police said that Tenbrink shot hit a nearby building and did not strike any of the protesters. 

{mosads}

The sheriff’s department was one of several police agencies represented at the event, which required massive security efforts that cost the university more than $500,000. The authorities banned guns at the event, as well as umbrellas and other items that could potentially be used as weapons. 

The men were arrested roughly 20 miles outside of Gainesville after trying to flee in the vehicle, after one protester involved in the confrontation reported its license number to the police, according to The Washington Post. 

Spencer, a leader of the alt-right movement, organized the August “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Va., that led to the death of one protester. 

In his speech on Thursday, Spencer defended the alt-right march, accusing city authorities of attacks on free speech.