New report links dozens of Chicago police to a national extremist group
The nation’s focus this week shifted abruptly to Lewiston, Maine, where a mass shooting left at least 18 people dead. The suspect in the attack is also an Army reservist, and a recent study found that a military background is the strongest “single strongest” predictor of violent extremism in America. But with the suspect and a motive both elusive as of Thursday night, it was unclear whether the tragic attack could be tied to extremist ideology.
Also this week, Chicago police officers tied to the Oath Keepers remain on the force, where many have troubling records, according to a new investigation. A man authorities described as a former “incel” is charged with planning a mass shooting at the University of Arizona, and federal agencies warn of a spiking risk of more hate-motivated violent crimes as the war in the Middle East rages on.
It’s the week in extremism.
Investigation: Chicago police tied to Oath Keepers
A sweeping investigation from the Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ Chicago and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project looked into the records of dozens of Chicago Police officers who were revealed to be connected to the extremist group the Oath Keepers. Journalists found the officers in question have troubling records, including making racist comments on the job, conducting improper searches and excessive force.
The three-part investigation dug deep into the records of 27 current and former officers whose names appeared on leaked rolls from the Oath Keepers. (When the leaked list first emerged, USA TODAY reported that it also included at least 20 current military members.)
At least nine of the officers remain on the job, despite Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s vow to rid the Chicago Police Department of extremists, the investigation found.
From the story: “Many of the cops on the Oath Keepers' rolls worked in the Special Operations Section, which was disbanded amid revelations that some members had committed brazen robberies and the purported ringleader plotted to murder a colleague.”
The Chicago Police Department closed down an investigation into the Oath Keepers links without taking any action, according to the report. A new investigation has now been launched.
For context: Two members of the Oath Keepers, including founder Stewart Rhodes, were found guilty earlier this year of seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Three more were found guilty of other serious crimes.
FBI: Former ‘incel’ planned mass shooting at University of Arizona
A 27-year-old man was arrested and charged with threatening to commit a mass shooting at the University of Arizona this week, according to court documents first reported by Court Watch, a news blog that monitors federal court filings.
The FBI complaint in the case states that the man, Michael Pengchung Lee, was scouting targets at the University of Arizona’s Greek Row, and was planning an attack to coincide with the 10th anniversary of a mass shooting by Elliot Rodgers in Isla Vista, California, in 2014.
Lee self-identified "as a former incel," according to the FBI, referring to a misogynist ideology in which adherents call themselves "involuntarily celibate" or "incel." Rodgers also identified as an “incel,” and carried out his shooting to deliberately kill women.
"It's a solo mission, I'm not normal, I never have been ... and was never accepted by society, I have no place in the world," Lee wrote in a Snapchat group, according to the complaint.
FBI, DHS warn of potential violence stemming from Middle East conflict
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security put out a joint announcement Wednesday warning of a heightened concern of extremist attacks stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The bulletin states: “The terrorism threat in the Homeland has remained heightened throughout 2023, but recent events have increased the possibility of potential attacks against individuals and institutions in response to developments in the Middle East.”
As USA TODAY reported earlier this month, there has been a spike in hateful rhetoric and threats on social media directed at the Jewish and Arab populations since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Those threats continue to escalate. A report from the Anti-Defamation League released this week recorded a “dramatic increase” in antisemitic incidents across the United States since the crisis began.
The Council on American Islamic Relations also reported this week it has received 774 complaints, including reported bias incidents, since the attack. That’s “the largest wave of complaints it (CAIR) has seen since December 2015, after Donald Trump declared his intent to ban Muslims from the U.S.,” the group reported.
Statistic of the week: $300,000
That’s the value of a federal grant that the Minneapolis Health Department turned down this week that could have been used to combat domestic violent extremism in the city.
The city council did not have the two-thirds majority required to accept the grant. Some members of the council opposed accepting the money, arguing it would unfairly be used to target citizens of color.
The federal grant program to combat violent extremism has a long and troubled past.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago police tied to Oath Keepers; shooting plan at Univ. of Arizona
