Police: Austin Shooter Belonged to an Ultra-Conservative Christian Hate Group
More from the home grown religious right terror front. The concept of the Phineas Priesthood hinges on biblical passages and interpretations of how they think race mixing ought to be handled.
Previously, police said they had not yet determined the motive for the shooting, which left only the gunman dead, but speculated that the current immigration debate could have been a factor. On Monday, federal investigators said the gunman didn’t leave a note that outlined his motive, but that he had previously told friends he was upset he couldn’t find a job, even as immigrants to the United States receive assistance.
On his bed, the gunman left a note and laid out clothes, officials said. A note left behind said the outfit was for his funeral.
“Hate was in his heart,” Acevedo said, adding that gunman belonged to an ultra-conservative Christian group. Authorities found a copy of “Vigilantes of Christendom” in the rental van McQuilliams used during the attacks, NBC Austin affiliate KXAN reported. That book is linked to the Phineas Priesthood, an anti-Semitic, anti-multiculturalism group that opposes biracial relationships, same-sex marriage, taxation and abortion.
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