New details about the suspect accused of driving into a crowd of counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., have emerged.
The Associated Press reports, based on police records, that suspect James Alex Fields Jr.'s mother, Samantha Bloom, had repeatedly called 911 about her son's violent outbursts prior to this weekend's attack.
The 20-year-old was arrested Saturday and faces charges including second-degree murder after he allegedly drove a car through a group of counter-protestors who were speaking out against white nationalist marchers. One woman, Charlottesville resident Heather Heyer, was killed and 19 people were injured. Fields Jr. remain in jail following his first court appearance on Monday.
According to the AP, Bloom reported in 2010 that "her son smacked her in the head and locked her in the bathroom after she told him to stop playing video games" and in 2011 she reported that her son had threatened her with a 12-inch knife.
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In an interview on Saturday, Bloom told the AP she was aware that her son was headed to a rally in Virginia but did not know it was connected to white nationalists.
Bloom told the Toledo Blade that she ahd told Fields Jr. to practice caution. “I told him to be careful,” she said. “[And] if they’re going to rally to make sure he’s doing it peacefully.”
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Following the incident, the victim's mother and father spoke out about hoping that their daughter's tragic passing would teach people to "stop hating" and to embrace forgiveness.
