White Supremacist Rally Attendees Arrested After Shooting at Protesters
Tyler Tenbrink, 28, William Fears, 30, and Colton Fears, 28, all from Texas, are being held on attempted homicide charges. They were taken into custody at about 9 P.M., several hours after fleeing the scene. The Fears brothers are being held on $1 million bond while Tenbrink, who has a felony record, is under $3 million bond. Police say at least two of the three have extremist ties.
The incident happened the same day Spencer gave a speech at the University of Florida, where he was heckled and drowned out by protesters. In interviews with the news media captured before the shooting, both Tenbrink and the elder Fears brother told reporters they came to Florida from Texas to support Spencer.
According to Gainesville police, at about 5:20 P.M., Tenbrink and the Fears brothers pulled up to a bus stop near the Spencer rally in a silver Jeep and began arguing with a group of protesters. The suspects began threatening and making Nazi salutes.
One of the victims hit the back of their car with a baton, and the car pulled away and drove about ten feet before stopping; Tenbrink then got out of the car with a handgun, while the Fears brothers encouraged him to kill the victims.
Tenbrink opened fire but missed, the bullet striking a business behind one of the victims. The suspects then drove off, but not before a victim was able to record their license plate number which was then provided to police. (No one was hurt in the incident.)
More: White Supremacist Rally Attendees Arrested After Shooting at Protesters