From 2017 to 2018, extremist groups in Florida have accounted for 197 incidents, including five murders/mass shootings, five terror plots and one police shootout, as well as seven rallies and 83 instances of propaganda distribution.
That’s according to the newly-released findings from a study by the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Center on Extremism.
As our comrades at Orlando Weekly point out, the report highlights Florida as home to three of the worst extremist-related murders from the last year: The Palm Beach Gardens killings, the school shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, and the yoga studio shooting in Tallahassee.
It also includes the attempted bombings by the Florida "MAGA Bomber."
Of those reported incidents in Florida, 98 involved right-wing extremist groups, which is by far the largest margin for any particular grouping. It's also worth noting that only two reported incidents were related to Islamic groups, and only one was related to a left-wing extremist group.
Data from the ADL shows that the bulk of these incidents were performed by white supremacist and alt-right groups like Identity Evropa, Loyal White Knights and Patriot Front.
Tampa was pegged for 22 incidents in the report, including one extremist murder, a terrorist plot or attack , seven anti-Semitic incidents and 13 instances of white supremacist propaganda.
According to the report, that murder was carried out on May 19, 2017 when 18-year-old Devon Arthurs, 18 — a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen and a recent convert to Islam — murdered two of his roommates and fellow Atomwaffen members because they were allegedly mocking his conversion.
Clearwater registered five blips (three white supremacist propaganda, two anti-Semitic incidents) while three instances of white supremacist propaganda were reported in St. Petersburg. Redington Beach, Seminole, Apollo Beach, Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor also show up on the heat map.
You can see the report for yourself via adl.org.
