Tyler TenBrink, part of 'III%' group, promised 'Hurricane Spencer' at Richard Spencer's Gainesville appearance
Tyler TenBrink couldn鈥檛 wait to hear聽Richard Spencer聽speak at the University of Florida.
In the days leading up to the October 19 appearance, TenBrink, a 29-year-old felon from Houston, posted several times about the prospect of seeing the racist "alt-right" frontman in Gainesville.
鈥淚t鈥檚 official. I鈥檓 headed to Florida tomorrow for Hurricane Spencer,鈥� TenBrink wrote on October 17.
The trip would prove a disaster for TenBrink, his travel companions Colton and William Fears, and Spencer himself.
TenBrink and 29-year-old Colton Fears were arrested on attempted murder charges, William Fears was arrested but later released to face criminal charges in Texas and Spencer spent much of his appearance being booed and heckled at the university.
TenBrink posted frequently about the trip, including multiple Facebook live videos and chats before and during Spencer鈥檚 speech that layout out for the first time his activities and thoughts leading up to the speech and later his arrest.
The page also provides the first concrete evidence that TenBrink associated with the 鈥淚II%鈥� group known as the 鈥淕host Squad 鈥� Texas Division.鈥�
鈥淭hree-percenters,鈥� as they are known, generally rallied around antigovernment and anti-gun control issues, claiming unrestricted gun ownership was the key to saving the Republic.
Spencer鈥檚 speech on October 19, which drew protests inside and out of the venue, proved to be a disaster. Tenbrink and Colton Fears, a fellow 29-year-old from Houston, are charged with attempted murder.
Prosecutors in Florida dropped charges against William Fears, who faces two different criminal cases in Texas.
TenBrink鈥檚 lawyers on Wednesday asked a judge to delay his trial, saying witness interviews won鈥檛 be done before a jury is seated. No ruling had been issued as of Friday. TenBrink and Colton Fears are currently scheduled for trial September 11.
In the days leading up to Spencer鈥檚 speech in Gainesville, Florida, TenBrink, the Fears brothers and a friend made plans to make the 855-mile drive along Interstate 10 on the Gulf Coast to hear the white nationalist speak.
Outside a Buc-ee鈥檚 truck stop in Baytown, Texas, TenBrink repeated the phrase 鈥淗urricane Spencer鈥� as the Fears brothers threw 鈥渉eil鈥� salutes to the camera. TenBrink then flashed three fingers to the camera 鈥� symbolizing the belief among III percenters in the disputed claim that only three percent of American colonists fought against the British in the American Revolution 鈥� before saying 鈥淪ee y鈥檃ll in Gainesville.鈥�
While driving through Louisiana at night on the way to Florida, TenBrink chatted with the Fears brothers and responded to questions on Facebook about where he was headed.
鈥淚f you got hate in your heart, let it out,鈥� TenBrink said during a Facebook live. 鈥淲hite power.鈥�
Once at Spencer鈥檚 speech, which also featured Eli Mosley (aka Elliot Klein, then the head of Identity Europa), and racist podcaster Michael 鈥淓noch鈥� Peinovich, TenBrink offered a running commentary. TenBrink would occasionally poke his head in front of the camera for the Facebook live audience and offer a thought or two. At other times, his voice carried over the amplified pronouncements from the stage.
As a song from new wave band Depeche Mode pulsed in the background, TenBrink turned the camera on himself and began raising and lowering his right eyebrow in time to the tune.
鈥淚 got no clue what鈥檚 up with that f------ music,鈥� TenBrink said. 鈥淢ust have been Spencer鈥檚 pick.鈥�
At one point, TenBrink broadcast on Facebook an interview he was doing with a reporter from the Washington Post.
鈥淒on鈥檛 twist my words,鈥� TenBrink said.
TenBrink told the reporter he was drawn to Spencer鈥檚 speech because, after the violent and deadly 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, two months earlier, his family was threatened. And, TenBrink said, while he didn鈥檛 know Spencer鈥檚 full philosophy, he admired his willingness to say it in public.
鈥淥bviously, the man鈥檚 got brass,鈥� TenBrink said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got the balls to say what nobody will.鈥�
TenBrink didn鈥檛 try to hide his allegiance to white nationalist and white supremacist ideas.
鈥淚 simply stand on the 14 words: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,鈥� TenBrink said, referring to the mantra coined by the late white supremacist David Lane. 鈥淚 call it like I see it. Homosexuals? If they want to be homosexuals, keep it to yourself. Nobody wants to hear that shit.鈥�
During Spencer鈥檚 speech, loud protests and chants arose. At one point, Colton Fears appears on camera.
聽鈥淗oly shit! My black friend is watching, but I鈥檓 a Nazi,鈥� Fears said.
As Spencer continued speaking, TenBrink offered a sort of stream-of-consciousness remarks:
鈥淛ews don鈥檛 identify as white. Ask any Jew. They identify as Jewish.鈥�
鈥淚srael is an ethnostate. 鈥�. Blah, blah, blah, Hitler, Hitler Hitler. same ol shit. And they won鈥檛 admit that Israel is an ethnostate.鈥�
As protestors chant 鈥淕o home, Richard, go home鈥� TenBrink ducked in front of the camera: 鈥淎re y鈥檃ll seeing all this?鈥� as he put his hands over his mouth.
In response to a Facebook post from Viktor Scaglians, 鈥淲e need a brutal brownshirt element to clear out this room of degenerates,鈥� TenBrink replied 鈥淵es, Viktor, Yes.鈥�
As the crowd chanted 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 run, you can鈥檛 hide, you support genocide.鈥� TenBrink ducked in front of the camera and said 鈥淢ark my words. This is where it starts. This shit鈥檚 going to get hairy.鈥�
As Spencer鈥檚 speech came to an end, TenBrink brought his Facebook live to a halt.
鈥淵鈥檃ll got the gist,鈥� TenBrink said. 鈥淚 got to save my battery. F--- this bullshit.鈥�
Later that evening, police would arrest TenBrink and the Fears brothers not far from campus. TenBrink would be charged with firing a gun at a protestor and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Hours earlier, TenBrink mused that he 鈥渕ight stay in Florida.鈥� A judge gave him little choice but to do just that. Since October, TenBrink has been in the Alachua County Jail held on $3 million bond.
