Protesters and politicians have long denounced Ahmaud Arbery’s killing as an act of racial profiling. The 25-year-old Black man was out jogging, his family said, when three White men chased and shot him in Satilla Shores, Ga., on Feb. 23, 2020.
Hate-crimes trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers: What to know
All three men were convicted Tuesday of violently interfering with Arbery’s right to use a public street because he was Black — a federal hate crime — following a week of testimony that delved into the defendants’ past racist comments. They were also convicted of attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels were found guilty of using firearms in a violent crime.
“No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate-filled violence,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday after the verdict. “Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities.”