A member of Tulane University’s chapter of Young Americans for Liberty and Turning Point USA was allegedly targeted in a politically motivated attack when his door was set on fire early Saturday morning, a YAL and TPUSA press release said.
Three students have been arrested in connection with the attack. While it’s unclear how the police identified the individuals, the survivor, Peyton Lofton, was mentioned in a “dox” of YAL staffers on March 17, just days before the attack.
Flyers were hung around campus, saying “Young Americans for Liberty EXPOSED! (YAL) is a racist, misogynistic and intolerant organization. Its members use social media to make offensive jokes about autism, sexual assault, 9/11 and slavery while using racist and ableist slurs,” and directing them to online accounts with more information, Fox News reported.
“Doxing” is an attempt at intimidating someone by releasing personal information in online forums, a practice now becoming more common nationwide against political opponents. According to a YAL press release, police are currently investigating the incident as well.
Robert Money, 21, and David Shelton, 20, of Tulane University and Naima Okami, 20, of Brown University, have all been arrested, each facing one count of aggravated arson, the Tulane Hullabaloo reported. It’s unclear how the police identified the three individuals.
“Additionally, the Tulane Office of Student Conduct is investigating this matter in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct,” said Michael Strecker, executive director of Tulane University Public Relations.
Strecker could not elaborate further on how the school’s investigation was progressing, but added, “There have been allegations that the incident was politically motivated. Tulane University is taking this very seriously and law enforcement officials are thoroughly investigating.”
The attack happened at 12:20 a.m. while Lofton was out with friends. Around that time he received a text from his roommate and best friend Jackson Arnold telling him their door room had been set on fire.
“I was in my room, and the fire alarm goes off. I go to open my door and the sign is on fire, so it was pretty small flame, I blew it out and left,” Arnold told Fox News. “I was feeling pretty mad, pissed off, I guess it was less of a scared feeling and more angry.”
“It’s a sad day in America when radical activists are lighting dorm room doors on fire because they disagree with you politically,” said Peyton Lofton in a YAL press release via Twitter. “I’m proud of the work I’m doing on and off campus with YAL and TPUSA to bring students to the principles of the Constitution and individual liberty. This only encourages me to continue the battle to reach my classmates with the message of freedom.”
Official statement from @YALiberty @Tulane Chapter Officer Peyton Lofton regarding his dorm room door being lit on fire: pic.twitter.com/kAPjCc0PR2
— YALiberty (@YALiberty) March 23, 2019
“Violence is never the answer, you will never find a YAL student targeting a socialist on campus, especially not lighting their dorm room door on fire,” YAL President Cliff Maloney told the Washignton Examiner. “YAL activists work day and night to spread the peaceful message of liberty by engaging in dialogue to change hearts and minds to support the individual liberties.”
SICK AND DANGEROUS:
This is Peyton Lofton, our chapter leader for @TPUSA at Tulane
He was recently doxxed by the violent left for being a conservative
Last night his dorm room door was literally SET ON FIRE after he was doxxed
The violent left is targeting students!
RT! pic.twitter.com/wgtVSkZ3ab
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 23, 2019
The three alleged perpetrators are charged with intentional damaging by any explosive substance or the setting fire to any property of another, without the consent of the owner. Assuming the damage is less than $500, the charge carries a fine up to $2,500 or imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than five years, or both, NOLA reported.
William Nardi (@williamznardi) is a contributor to Red Alert Politics. He is a student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a former intern for the Washington Examiner.
