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12th person wanted for ICE detention center shooting allegedly clashed with Christian nationalists

A grainy screenshot from a video shows a man in a blue raincoat, wearing sunglasses, putting his arm up to protect himself from a person in a black helmet and tactical gear holding up an object that Fort Worth police say was a canister of pepper spray.
Screenshot
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Fort Worth Police Department
A screenshot from Fort Worth Police footage outside a drag show at Fort Brewery on April 23, 2023. Benjamin Song, not pictured, was allegedly one of the members of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club counterprotesting a far-right Christian group.

The former U.S. Marine Corps reservist wanted in connection with a shooting outside an Alvarado immigration detention facility allegedly clashed with Christian nationalists as part of a self-described antifascist North Texas gun group two years ago, according to court records.

Benjamin Hanil Song faces three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm during a violent act for what the FBI says was his role in the shooting of an Alvarado police officer, who court records say was hit in the neck but who is expected to make a full recovery. Song was not in custody as of Thursday afternoon.

Song was also a named defendant in a lawsuit brought by a Christian nationalist group with a history of protesting drag shows in 2023. According to the suit, Song was among the counterprotestors with the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club providing armed security to performers at a Fort Worth drag performance. The group wore black masks and tactical gear.

The New Columbia Movement, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group, sued Song and two others for what it called a "coordinated attack" that violated the group's First Amendment right to protest.

That civil suit is on hold as criminal cases against others arrested at the counterprotest continue to play out, according to court records. Song was not one of the people arrested.

But three years earlier, in 2020, Song was one of 40 people arrested during an Austin protest after Garrett Foster was fatally shot by active-duty U.S. Army sergeant Daniel Perry, who was working as a rideshare driver when the shooting occurred.

Police were responding to the protest on Aug. 1, 2020. A group of demonstrators blocked several streets in Austin when a second group began blocking the intersection of East Fourth Street and Congress Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. Song was allegedly among the second group of protesters.

Court records say an officer tried to grab hold of Song after police encircled the group, but Song pulled away and tripped over an officer’s bike. That’s when the documents claim Song stood up, grabbed his rifle slung across his chest and “raised it into a firing position.” Song was accused of pointing his rifle directly at one officer and then aiming it at another officer.

The two officers allegedly pointed their handguns at Song before he backed into a crowd of people. At this point, court documents say Song had his rifle slung across his chest again and police proceeded to arrest him.

Song was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, but the charges were no-billed in 2021 — meaning a grand jury did not find sufficient evidence to indict him.

He’s the third person accused in the July 4 shooting with previous charges related to a protest.

A complaint unsealed Wednesday claims Song was a reservist for the U.S. Marine Corps from 2011 until 2016 when he received an “other than honorable discharge” — a military discharge given when a service member engages in serious misconduct of performance issues during service.

He is accused of purchasing four guns found in connection with the Prairieland Detention Center shooting, according to court records.

KERA News reached out to Song's previous attorney and The John Brown Gun Club and will update this story with any response. A phone number listed under Song's name was disconnected.

Ten others were also charged this week with three counts of attempted murder of a federal agent and three counts of discharging a firearm during a violent act, according to court records. Another person was charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy, according to federal officials. All except Song had been arrested as of Thursday evening.

The Texas Department of Public Safety sent out a Public Safety Alert around 8 p.m. Wednesday notifying the public about the FBI's search for Song.

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone with information on Song’s whereabouts. Gov. Greg Abbott also announced a $10,000 reward for information on Song.

Miranda Suarez and the Texas Standard's Zachary Suri contributed to this report.

Penelope Rivera is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Penelope Rivera is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. She graduated from the University of North Texas in May with a B.A. in Digital and Print Journalism.