The man accused of mowing down a counter-protester at last year’s white nationalist rally in Charlottesville is now facing federal hate crime charges.
James Alex Fields Jr., a 21-year-old from Ohio, has been charged with one count of a hate crime resulting in the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer. He also is facing 28 other hate crime charges involving attempts to kill others, according to an indictment released Wednesday, in addition to first-degree murder and other charges at the state level.
“As Fields drove into and through the crowd, Fields struck numerous individuals, killing Heather Heyer and injuring many others,” the indictment reads.
It said the day before the “Unite the Right” rally in Virginia, a family member warned Fields, through a text message, to be careful as he prepared to leave his home in Maumee.
"We're not the ones who need to be careful,” Fields allegedly wrote back, attaching an image of Adolf Hitler.
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04.26.2025