White Man Accused Of Terrorizing Black Family Reunion With AR-15

A man wearing a pink shirt standing in front of a gray tiled wall. — Source: Lee County Sheriff Office / facebook

A white man in Leesburg, Ga., has been arrested after allegedly terrorizing a Black family reunion with an AR-15-style rifle.

According to WALB 10, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 100 and 200 blocks of Autumn Leaf Drive on Sunday, following reports of a shooting in progress. Lee County officials haven’t revealed much about the shooting, outside of reporting that it began with a “verbal altercation,” and that the man arrested in connection with the gunfire has been identified as Jeffrey Tyler Kinzer, who, according to the family that held the event, drove past the home at around 9 p.m., leaned out of the window of his vehicle, and began shouting racial slurs at the Black people he saw standing outside.

From WALB:

“He’s talking junk. He started yelling the ‘N-word,’” Ramell Green, a witness said. “He kept going so we let him go. We just discussed what had happened after.”

The person who lives at the home also said that she called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office after Kinzer left. But about five minutes later, Kinzer and the driver returned.

This time, Kinzer was reportedly wearing body armor and carrying an AR-15-style rifle.

Those outside spotted the suspect with the gun from a distance and began running, Green said. Then Kinzer opened fire, and Green said a bullet flew past him.

“…People started taking positions because they saw he had a gun. And I was in the middle of the street,” Green said. “And I grabbed my gun and started returning fire and moving with him.”

Green said he is a Marine veteran. He wanted to defend the roughly 20 children and older adults who witnesses said were at the home when the shooting occurred.

“It’s so hurtful. I cried all night,” Loucindi Broussard, another witness, said. “I’m laying outside on the ground for a shootout. I’m under a car with my sister who is 77 and I’m 62.”

Thankfully, the only person reported to have sustained an injury was Kinzer, who was shot by a member of the family he allegedly attacked.

According to WSAV, Kinzer, who reportedly acknowledged to deputies that he had been involved in the shooting, has been charged with aggravated assault and was transported to the Lee County Jail after he was released from the hospital. It’s a charge that many would consider paltry, considering he allegedly unleashed racial terror on a Black family in what sounds like an attempted mass shooting, motivated by hate.

“We were having a family gathering. And it was a great family gathering,” Green told WALB. “It was peaceful…He came and caused that to happen. And he found out that he’s not the only one that has training.”

According to WSAV: “Investigators believe additional witnesses, victims, and potentially other individuals involved in this incident have not yet been identified or interviewed. Anyone involved in this incident in any capacity and has not already provided a statement to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is asked to contact investigators at 229-759-6012.”

Mind you, earlier this month, we reported that a white man in Texas was arrested after he allegedly brought an AR-15-style rifle to a Black teen’s birthday pool party after his wife got into a verbal altercation with partygoers. It’s almost as if the bible belt has an issue with armed white supremacists terrorizing Black communities.

Who would’ve thought?

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