Attorneys: DOJ investigating Ahmaud Arbery killing as a possible hate crime


Attorneys for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that the Justice Department will investigate Arbery's shooting death as a potential hate crime.
Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was shot and killed on Feb. 23 while jogging through a neighborhood in Glynn County, Georgia. He was unarmed. On May 9, a white father and son — Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34 — were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault against Arbery.
The shooting was captured on video, and the man who recorded the incident, William Bryan, 50, was arrested last week and charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Gregory McMichael told police he and his son followed Arbery because they suspected he was behind a string of burglaries, and claimed Travis McMichael shot Arbery twice after they fought over the son's shotgun.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Arbery family lawyers also said the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia will investigate why it took two months for Glynn County and the state of Georgia to make arrests in the case. Gregory McMichael is a retired investigator for Glynn County.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'The answer isn't to shake faith in the dollar'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policy
speed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition
-
The Week Junior Book Awards 2025 Shortlist Announced
The Week Junior Book Awards have unveiled the 2025 shortlist, celebrating the best in children’s literature across 13 categories.
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers