The masked man who went viral after being seen smashing the windows of a local auto shop in Minneapolis amid the protests was a white supremacist, police believe.
The man who became known as “Umbrella Man” is suspected to be a member of the Hell’s Angels biker gang and sought to incite racial tensions during the George Floyd protests, authorities said Tuesday. The man’s actions acted as a catalyst for days of looting and rioting that spread throughout the city after Floyd’s death in police custody.
Recommended Stories
The suspect, 32, has been connected to other incidents, including when a Muslim woman was confronted by a group of men wearing white supremacist apparel, according to the Star Tribune.
At the same Auto Zone where the man smashed the windows, he also is believed to have spray-painted, “Free shit for everyone zone,” on the front doors of the store. Police were able to identify the subject using an emailed tip that came into the department.
A subsequent investigation into the man also revealed that he was an associate of the Aryan Cowboy Brotherhood, a small white supremacist prison and street gang based in Minnesota and Kentucky. The man has not yet been charged with a crime.
