Florida police arrested a white supremacist who threatened to carry out another mass shooting at a local Walmart just days after the El Paso shooter took the lives of 22 people.
Richard Clayton, 26, took to Facebook on August 6 to brag about his forthcoming plans. “Three more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back. Don’t go to Walmart next week,” he posted.
Clayton’s remarks were a chilling reminder of the carnage that occurred August 3 in Texas, and then 12 hours later in Dayton, Ohio.
Police say Clayton and the El Paso Shooter Patrick Crusius share the same beliefs. Crusius admitted to authorities he drove 10 hours from Allen, Texas to kill Mexicans. He also posted a manifesto online expressing support for white supremacists.
“Clayton appears to believe in the white supremacist ideology and has a history of posting threats on Facebook using fictitious accounts,” Florida Law Enforcement officials said.
Officials while speaking to the Associated Press said he was not on probation. He was arrested and charged with intimidation through a written threat and is being held on a $15,000 bond.
During a July 23 Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified the organization’s focus is “on the violence.” The lengthy hearing came after Wray noted nearly one-third of domestic terrorism cases involved white supremacists beliefs.
“We don’t investigate ideology, no matter how repugnant,” Wray said.