The FBI and University of Maryland officials are investigating if the murder of Richard Collins III is a hate crime after it was revealed Collins’ attacker was part of a Facebook group titled “Alt-Reich: Nation.”
Collins, 23, who was part of Bowie State University’s ROTC program was slated to graduate this Tuesday with a business degree. According to reports, at about 3AM Saturday (May 20) University of Maryland student Sean Urbanski, 22, ordered Collins to “Step left. Step left if you know what’s good for you.” When Collins replied “no,” Urbanski stabbed Collins in the chest with a knife killing him, University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said.
The Baltimore Sun reports Collins and friends were waiting for an Uber prior to the attack. Collins, who comes from a military family was headed to Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood for countering weapons of mass destruction.
“We’re just devastated that his life has been taken away with this senseless act of violence,” Pastor Darryl Godlock said of Collins.
Police learned Urbanski was part of the “Alt Reight: Nation” Facebook group, which boasted about 1,100 members. “Suffice to say, it’s despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, latinos, members of the Jewish faith, and especially African-Americans — which brings up questions of the motive in the case,” Mitchell said of the group that was removed from Facebook Sunday.
Urbanski has been charged with first and second degree murder charges.