Neo-Nazi Who Called Pittsburgh A ‘Dry Run’ Busted By FBI
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A Washington D.C. man was arrested on a gun charge after his family contacted authorities, worried when he called the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting a “dry run,” the Washington Post reported.
Jeffrey R. Clark Jr. described himself to law enforcement officers as a white nationalist, according to federal court filings. He also followed the Pittsburgh shooting suspect, who killed 11 at prayer, on social media. There is no evidence Clark was connected to the shooting.
Clark was arrested Friday after two family members contacted the police over several worrisome comments, including that the synagogue victims “deserved it.” His brother recently died from suicide, according to the Post.
Clark was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and a high-capacity magazine, and he appeared in court Tuesday.
He associates with the alt-right and has described himself as a Nazi, Huffpost reported. He was photographed at the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, and he’s held up Nazi symbols and memorabilia for other photos.
Clark’s username on Gab, a social network that elicits white supremacists and was the chosen forum for the Pittsburgh gunman, is @PureWhitEvil, Huffpost found. On it, he referred to himself as “DC Bowl Gang,” a reference to Dylann Roof, who murdered nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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