A white supremacist and self-described Trump supporter shot and killed two black bystanders after he crashed a stolen lorry into a house, police said.
The man, Nathan Allen, 28, fatally shot retired policeman Dave Green and military veteran Ramona Cooper in Saturday afternoon’s attack in Massachusetts.
Investigators later found racist and anti-Semitic writings by Allen, who was shot dead by officers at the scene.
Local ABC affiliate WCVB-5 reported that Allen walked through a marsh to a garage in the city of Winthrop where he stole a plumber’s lorry. He crashed the vehicle into an unoccupied home, causing extensive damage. He then climbed out of the wreckage and attempted unsuccessfully to carjack another vehicle.
As he walked away, he shot Ramona Cooper, 60, a staff sergeant in the Air Force, three times in the back, killing her.
He then shot retired Massachusetts state trooper Dave Green, 68, multiple times. When police arrived on the scene they exchanged gunfire with Allen, killing him.
Investigators said they found “troubling white supremacist rhetoric” and pro-Trump propaganda in the gunman’s handwriting.
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins told a press conference on Monday that Allen is believed to have acted alone.
The prosecutor said he had “likely appeared unassuming” before unleashing his attack with a firearm that he legally owned.
In a tweet on Monday, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker called the killings “a despicable act”.
