Devon Arthurs, an 18-year-old Florida man who once had common neo-Nazi beliefs with his two roommates, murdered them after he converted to Islam, claiming they had disrespected his faith.
According to police, Arthurs, 18, of Tampa, told police he shot his roommates Jeremy Himmelman, 22, and Andrew Oneschuk, 18, on Friday, May 19, at the Hamptons at Tampa Palms complex after becoming upset about widespread anti-Muslim sentiment. Arthurs said he “wanted to bring attention to the cause.”
After killing Himmelman and Oneschuk, Arthurs briefly held an employee and customers hostage at the nearby Green Planet Smoke Shop, saying he had just killed his roommates, “blasting their head” with a semi-automatic pistol.
“Do me a favor and get the f— on the ground!” Arthurs allegedly yelled as he stormed into the store. “Why shouldn’t I kill you?”
A fourth roommate, Brandon Russell, 21, was found unharmed but later charged with illegally storing bomb-making equipment in his garage.
via Tampa Bay Times:
While searching the garage, investigators found a cooler full of a white, cake-like explosive material known as HMTD, or hexamethylene tiperoxide diamine, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Nearby, they found explosive precursors — chemicals that can be mixed to create explosives — including potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate, nitro methane and more than a pound of ammonium nitrate in a package addressed to Russell.
Investigators also found electric matches and empty 5.56-caliber ammunition casings with fuses that could be used to detonate destructive devices once HMTD was added to the casings. The materials could be used to make a bomb, according to the complaint.
In addition, pagers carried by bomb technicians alerted them to the presence of two radiation sources. The complaint does not say whether they were connected to the explosive materials.
Arthurs was arrested and charged on two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed kidnapping and a count of aggravated assault with a firearm. He said told investigators that all four roommates shared neo-Nazi beliefs until he converted to Islam.
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