On Thursday, the Valdosta Daily Times reported that a Georgia man with ties to a white supremacist group has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges, after a pair of shootings at convenience stores intended to kill Black Arabs.
"According to information presented in a U.S. Northern District of Georgia court, on July 30, 2021, Larry Edward Foxworth, 48, of Jonesboro shot several rounds from a Glock pistol through a window and door at two convenience stores. He was arrested shortly after the second attack," reported Asia Ashley. "While in police custody at the scene, Foxworth reportedly made statements explaining that he was targeting Black people and others who he perceived to be Arab, according to a DOJ news release."
"Foxworth expressed hope that he had killed his targets and professed belief in white supremacist ideology and an allegiance to a white supremacist organization, the DOJ stated," according to the report.
The attacks occurred last year, and the plea agreement was made at the end of last week. According to earlier reports, Foxworth openly admitted he committed the shootings because he didn't like "towel heads" — a slur for South Asian and Middle Eastern people, who sometimes wear turbans or headdresses as part of various cultural practices.
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FBI Atlanta Special Agent Keri Farley stated of the case, “Hate-fueled violent crimes ripple through communities, making entire groups feel unsafe and unwelcome, spawning fear and anger. Prosecuting hate crimes is a top priority of the FBI. We will not back down from obtaining justice for victims of hate-based violence.”
Hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs have received widespread attention; such attacks exploded in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks more than two decades ago. Mosques have often been targeted with threats and vandalism, and in one particular case in 2016, a Muslim immigrant in Philadelphia was beaten for not speaking English on the street.
