Recent Charges Against Two Individuals in Texas Shooting
Two people arrested in a July shooting outside an immigration detention center in Texas are facing new charges that follow President Donald Trump’s order last month to designate a decentralized movement known as antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Fort Worth on charges that include providing material support to terrorists and attempting to murder officers and employees of the U.S. government. Federal prosecutors accuse them of being members of an antifa cell that planned the shooting.
Hill and Evetts were already among 11 people facing attempted murder charges related to the July 4 shooting outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, that injured a police officer.
Background on Antifa and the Shooting
In a post on X on Thursday about the new charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi called antifa “a left-wing terrorist organization,” and said, “they will be prosecuted as such.”
Short for “antifascists,” antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.
The indictment said the attack began when a group of people clad in black and wearing masks, some carrying firearms and wearing body armor, shot fireworks toward the center and vandalized vehicles and a guard shed. Then, as officers responded, one person yelled, “get to the rifles” and opened fire, striking an officer, according to the indictment.
The indictment said that the group brought 10 firearms to the July 4 attack.
Reaction to the New Charges
Cody Cofer, an attorney for Hill, said in an emailed statement that the new terrorism-related charge “could be understood by some as an attempt to appeal to a mob mentality rather than relying on the evidence and the law.”
Patrick McLain, an attorney for Evetts, said that so far he’s seen “zero basis” for any of the charges against his client.
The original charges filed over the summer say searches related to the attack found items including antigovernment materials and flyers with political messages, but those documents did not mention antifa.
Context of the Shooting and Antifa Designation
Antifa is a domestic entity and, as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. There is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States.
The July 4 shooting took place as President Donald Trump’s administration has ramped up deportations. Days after that shooting, a man with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents and a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen near the Mexico border, injuring a police officer. Authorities shot and killed the attacker.
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Conclusion
The recent charges against Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts highlight the complexities and challenges in addressing domestic terrorism and the designation of certain groups as terrorist organizations. The situation underscores the need for careful consideration of the evidence and the law in such cases, as well as the importance of respecting First Amendment protections.
FAQs
Q: What is antifa? Antifa, short for “antifascists,” is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.
Q: What happened in the July 4 shooting? A group of people clad in black and wearing masks, some carrying firearms and wearing body armor, shot fireworks toward the Prairieland Detention Center and vandalized vehicles and a guard shed. As officers responded, one person yelled, “get to the rifles” and opened fire, striking an officer.
Q: What are the new charges against Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts? The new charges include providing material support to terrorists and attempting to murder officers and employees of the U.S. government.
Q: Why is antifa not on the list of foreign terror organizations? Antifa is a domestic entity, and as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. There is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States.
