3 arrested for shooting after Richard Spencer speech in Gainesville
Gainesville police have located and arrested three men about 20 miles north of Gainesville late Thursday for their role in a shooting that followed the afternoon speech by Richard Spencer.
Tyler Tenbrink of Richmond, 28, from Texas, 30-year-old old William Fears and 28-year-old Colton Fears of Passadena, Texas are all currently in the Alachua County Jail on charges of attempted homicide after an investigation revealed they engaged in an argument with another group of people that turned violent with gunfire.
At least two of the three have shown connections to extremist groups, police report. Police report Tenbrink is a convicted felon and faces additional charges of possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
Shortly before 5:30 p.m., it was reported that a silver Jeep stopped to argue with a group of protesters and began threatening, offering Nazi salutes and shouting chants about Hitler to the group that was near the bus stop.
During the altercation, Tenbrink produced a handgun while the Fears brothers encouraged him to shoot at the victims. Tenbrink fired a single shot at the group which thankfully missed the group and struck a nearby building. The suspects then fled in a silver jeep.
One of the victims was able to get the vehicle tag number and reported it immediately to law enforcement.
Due to the Richard Spencer event, law enforcement resources from the local, state and Federal level were still operating in “Unified Command” which allowed local investigators and FBI analysts to quickly identify the vehicle and possible occupants.
Shortly before 9:00 p.m, an Alachua County Deputy A. Diaz was off duty and on the way home after working the Spencer event operation. He was miles north of the last location of the vehicle that was known from intel reports, but began searching and ultimately located the vehicle.
Units from Alachua Police Department, High Springs Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a high-risk Felony stop on the vehicle at the 405 Mile Marker of Interstate 75 North and took the three into custody.