5 Things to Know: White Supremacists March on Charlotte

White Supremacists March on Charlotte

The white supremacist organization Patriot Front released a propaganda video this week showing dozens of its members marching through the streets of Charlotte with a banner that read “American Spirit, European Blood” on Saturday, Sept. 13, in response to the August killing of Iryna Zarutska near South End.

The video shows the men gathering in front of the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office to spout off talking points about the “once prosperous” country becoming a “racial hellscape.” They then walk to South End, where a makeshift memorial to Zarutska has taken shape, where they bow their heads and hand a white man some literature about their group.

The members are also shown sparring with one another and rolling around in the grass together at a nearby park while claiming to be “forging a culture in strength and martial vitality.” The men remain masked for much of the video and have had their faces blurred in the scenes where they’re not masked.

The video includes footage of Zarutska’s killing, which the family has asked members of the public to stop sharing out of respect for their daughter’s memory.

Read more: How Iryna Zarutska’s Killing Sparked a National Outrage

According to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism, the Patriot Front is a Texas-based white supremacist group that originally splintered from another organization called Vanguard America in June 2017.

Members of the group believe that their ancestors conquered America and bestowed it to them and only them, justifying its hate and intolerance under the guise of preserving America’s identity as a “Pan-European nation.”

“Since 2019, Patriot Front has been responsible for the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda distributed in the United States, using fliers, posters, stickers, banners and the internet to spread their hateful ideology,” reads the ADL’s website. “Although the group claims loyalty to America, Patriot Front’s ultimate goal is to form a new state that advocates for the ‘descendants of its creators,’ namely white men.”

Man Charged in Brevard Court Killing Claimed Self-Defense

A man who’s been charged with murder for a lunchtime shooting in Uptown’s Brevard Court on Friday told police he opened fire because he was being attacked and feared for his life, though surveillance footage appears to show that was not necessarily the case.

At approximately 1:33 p.m. on Friday afternoon, police responded to a shooting call in Brevard Court, a popular destination connected to The Alley at Latta Arcade and across from Romare Bearden Park in Uptown, where they found 20-year-old Jahday Humphrey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medic transported Humphrey to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, a 33-year-old man, remained on scene and was taken into custody. He told police that the victim punched him in the face, causing him to fear for his life, though surveillance footage shows him approaching the victim and shooting after any immediate risk to him had passed. The shooter has been charged with murder.

Enacted in 2011, North Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law permits civilians to employ deadly force if they believe it is necessary to prevent great bodily harm or imminent death to themselves or another person. That right is rescinded, however, if the original aggressor retreats or otherwise discontinues their aggressive behavior, which appears to be the case here.

In the map above showing homicides that have occurred in Charlotte this year, black markers signify deaths by gun violence, green markers signify killings that may be deemed justified, red markers signify stabbings, yellow markers signify murder by vehicle, purple markers signify deaths by trauma or unknown cause, and blue markers signify police killings.

In an interview with WSOC’s Glenn Counts, Gus Stamoulis, owner of Nefelie’s Bar in Brevard Court, said he had repeatedly reached out to CMPD to request more regular patrols and a stronger presence at the popular hangout but was ignored.

Humphrey’s murder was the third homicide in Charlotte this week, including the shooting death of 4-year-old Jayce Edwards after multiple suspects opened fire on a home in Steele Creek targeting another member of the household there. Four suspects have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in relation to that case.

Queen City Nerve has tracked 65 homicides to have occurred within Charlotte thus far in 2025 (mapped above), compared to 94 at the same time last year.

Queens University and Elon University Announce Merger

Queens University on Tuesday announced that it will embark on a “strategic merger” with Elon University, located in the town of Elon about 90 miles northeast of Charlotte near Greensboro.

“This merger represents a bold step forward for higher education in Charlotte, as Elon University is expanding through integration with Queens University — aligning missions, honoring heritage and advancing both universities’ commitment to students and community,” reads a website announcing the merger.

Elon has a significantly larger budget and student population than Queens. As reported by The Charlotte Ledger on Tuesday following the announcement on the Queens campus in Myers Park, Elon has about 7,300 students compared to around 2,000 at Queens.

The Ledger also reported that, according to publicly filed tax documents, Elon had assets of $1.2 billion as of May 2024 while Queens reported assets of $189 million as of June 2023.

Elon University will operate Queens at the end of the merger, which was approved unanimously by both schools’ boards of trustees.

“Queens has long been a leader in education, deeply connected to Charlotte’s civic and business community,” said Jesse Cureton, acting presidents and CEO of Queens University. “This merger with Elon accelerates that vision, ensuring continuity while creating bold opportunities to expand our impact.”

The website states that the Myers Park campus will continue “as a key part of the Charlotte footprint,” while community programs and partnerships will continue to serve Charlotte.

“This merger is a win for both universities and, more importantly, for Charlotte,” stated Hugh McColl Jr., chair of the Queens University Board of Trustees. “By uniting their strengths, Elon and Queens are expanding opportunity, preserving legacy and making a bold investment in Charlotte’s future. This is the kind of forward-looking vision that ensures our city continues to thrive for generations to come.”

Recount Confirms Mazuera Arias Win in District 5

Juan Diego “J.D.” Mazuera Arias’ win against incumbent Marjorie Molina in the Charlotte City Council District 5 race last week was confirmed Tuesday after a recount. Arias beat Molina by 37 votes in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary election, a lead that dwindled to 34 votes after the counting of provisional ballots.

With no request for a hand recount from Molina’s campaign following the original recount, it appears Arias’ win will hold.

“As we celebrate #HispanicHeritageMonth, [District 5] has made history by electing CLT’s first Latino City Councilmember,” Mazuera Arias wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “This December, I look forward to hitting the ground running on City Council & fighting for a better East Charlotte — one rooted in honesty, integrity, equity, & a deep love for community.”

Hijab Lawsuit Stemming from Incident at Uptown Jail Settled

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Thursday announced the resolution of a lawsuit over the alleged violations of a Muslim woman’s religious and civil rights by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The lawsuit stated that MCSO personnel forced Laila El-Ali to remove her Islamic head scarf, or hijab, then took a booking photograph of her without it and allowed the photo to remain publicly available on its website after the situation was brought to the department’s attention.

The settlement includes substantive policy changes regarding religious head coverings to be enacted immediately by all deputies, detention officers, and civilian personnel employed by the MCSO.

“This case is about protecting the fundamental right of Muslim women to practice their faith with dignity,” said CAIR staff attorney Nadia Bayado in a release on Thursday. “No one should be forced to choose between their religious beliefs and compliance with law enforcement procedures. The policy changes secured here ensure that what happened to Ms. El-Ali will not happen again, and they reaffirm that constitutional rights do not stop at the jailhouse door.”

El-Ali’s arrest stemmed from her actions as a Palestinian Muslim community organizer, beginning with her appearance at a Charlotte City Council during which she expressed pro-Palestine sentiments and urged the city to divest from Israel. Her continued protest resulted in charges of violating a noise ordinance and impeding traffic that were later dropped.

“This is not about one person. This is about every Palestinian, every Muslim, every organizer who refuses to stay silent while our government sends billions to fund the destruction of Gaza,” said El-Ali in Thursday’s release. “It is about reminding us that even here — in the so-called land of the free — Palestinians are being punished for demanding the right to live.”