James Alex Fields was w/ the Vanguard America folks in #Charlottesville. Learn more about the group > https://t.co/HNloF8Btnf @ADL_National pic.twitter.com/TmJLi0kfZo
— Oren Segal (@orensegal) August 13, 2017
An Ohio man has been arrested that authorities suspect of being the driver who killed one and injured 19 w/5 in critical condition in Charlottesville Saturday after the cancellation of a white supremacist rally has Northern Kentucky roots.
James Fields Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and failure to stop in an accident that resulted in death, officials confirmed to The Enquirer.
Online documents show Fields shares an address with his mother, Samantha Bloom, 49, in Maumee. Documents also list several Northern Kentucky addresses for Bloom, who confirmed to The Toledo Blade Saturday night she and her son recently moved from Florence, Kentucky, for her job in northwest Ohio. Bloom, told CNN affiliate Toledo Blade, her son told her last week he was going to an “alt-right” rally, but she was not involved in his political views. CNN’s attempts to reach Bloom were unsuccessful.
In a photo posted to Twitter by the Anti-Defamation League and reported by BuzzFeed, a man who appears to be Fields Jr. can be seen brandishing a black shield handed out by the self-proclaimed fascist group Vanguard America.
Videos of the incident show the Challenger barreling into pedestrians at high speed and slamming into the back of a second vehicle. With the car’s front badly damaged and its mangled bumper sticking out one side, the driver backs up a high speed for several blocks, then turns left and speeds off, chased by police.
Fields Jr. has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and one count related to leaving the scene of the wreck, according to the AP. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced late Saturday that federal authorities will pursue a civil rights investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Investigators want to know if Fields Jr. crossed state lines with the intent to commit violence.
There has been no talk of any terrorism charges being brought forth as of this time.
Is it possible the guy panicked. To be of good moral character we must ask if there are other possibilities for this action. Deliberate attack is but one.