An attack by suspected White supremacists in Washington on a Black DJ is being investigated by the FBI, the Associated Press reports.
Eight people, seven men and one woman, were arrested for assault, hate crimes on Saturday in Lynwood, per the Shohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Court records show that they have ties with the Aryan Brotherhood.
Officials said that the group of eight walked into the Rec Room Bar and Grill and began to assault the DJ. An Asian man attempted to break up the attack, but got injured in the process, according to officials.
“The violent behavior directed at members of our community over the weekend simply because of their race is disgusting,” Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary said in a press release. “The Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the FBI in hopes of getting the strongest sentencing possible for these hate crimes.”
Witnesses said that a man approached the DJ and requested him to play heavy metal music. The DJ reportedly did not play the music, but rather went and took a smoke break and was attacked and met with racial slurs, according to USA Today.
Law enforcement have identified the suspects as: Randy A. Smith, 38; Vincent B. Nutter, 28; Nathaniel Woodell, 32; Daniel Dorson, 23; Cory Colwell, 34; Leah Northcraft, 25; Guy Miller, 37 and Travis David Condor, who was previously sentenced 90 days in jail for beating up a homeless man in a bat, and who was photographed at the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last year.
Northcroft reportedly did not take part in the assault, but did hurl racist slurs toward the DJ.
“Unfortunately for the Northwest, you have the people traveling through on their way to Whidbey Island every single year. That puts Washington state in the cross-hairs of some the most dangerous white supremacists in the United States,” Southern Poverty Law Center’s Heidi Beirich told USA Todau.
