In Mississippi, a white father-son duo is under investigation for a hate crime after allegedly chasing and shooting at two Black teens who were riding ATVs.
The Clarion Ledger reports that the Yazoo County Sheriff’s office charged Wade Twiner, 48, and Lane Twiner, 22, with assault for allegedly shooting at the teens and ramming one of their ATVs with their pickup truck. Federal officials, as well as the district attorney’s office, are also investigating the incident as a hate crime. Yazoo County Sheriff Jacob Sheriff said that the circumstances surrounding the assault and social media posts made by the father prompted the hate crime investigation.
Sheriff noted that Wade Twiner shared a post on social media in July that featured a Confederate flag flanked by the phrases “Redneck Neighborhood Watch,” and “You Loot, We Shoot.” Later that same month, Twiner posted a picture of an ATV on Facebook with the caption “If you had this and lived ... the coronavirus won’t kill you. You already cheated death,” suggesting he may have had prior problems with ATVs.
Twiner owns property near Ridge Road, where the incident occurred. The area is a popular spot for ATV riders, making the incident even more shocking. One of the victims spoke to TV station WLBT about the incident, saying it would’ve made more sense to him if they were anywhere near the Twiner’s property. He said that during the incident, both men fired at him from their white pickup truck.
Authorities said the case bears an uncomfortable similarity to Ahmaud Arbery’s. Arbery was killed while jogging earlier this year in Georgia after three men, including a father-son duo, chased him down and eventually shot him three times.
Mississippi Authorities Investigating Possible Hate Crime Charges for Father and Son Who Shot at Black Teens
In Mississippi, a white father-son duo is under investigation for a hate crime after allegedly chasing and shooting at two Black teens who were riding ATVs.
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