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In May 2017, 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III was murdered in an alleged hate crime at a bus stop outside of the University of Maryland’s campus by an individual with ties to an extremist group, Alt-Reich. The defendant’s evidence of racial animus will be a critical focal point during the prosecution. 2nd Lt. Collins died days before his graduation from Bowie State University.

“Hate incidents on and around our nation’s college campuses are on the rise and present a crisis that must

be confronted,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The tragic killing of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins makes clear that African-American students are all too frequently subject to racially-fueled violence and attacks. As this hate crime and murder prosecution gets underway, it is my hope that justice will be served and that the process brings to light all evidence regarding the perpetrator’s racial motive.”

Clarke continued, “with hate incidents spreading across college and university campuses, it is critical that the U.S. Department of Education and Justice Department take action now to promote student safety. From Charlottesville to Syracuse, we have witnessed intensifying levels of hate and racial polarization on campuses in the current era.”