Pittsburgh synagogue shooting sympathizer arrested in DC on gun charges, court records say

WASHINGTON - A D.C. man with social media ties to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect is under arrest, according to officials.

Jeffrey Clark, Jr., who describes himself as a white nationalist, was taken into custody on Friday and charged with illegally possessing a firearm and a high-capacity magazine, court documents stated.

According to the court documents, the 30-year-old's relatives contacted police after he started becoming "really riled up," "agitated," and said the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims "deserved it."

Jeffrey Clark, who lives in the Bloomingdale neighborhood and owns multiple registered guns, was heavily involved in alt-right movements and made offensive posts on social media, investigators said.

Jeffrey Clark allegedly used the social networking site Gab to share his views with others and was Gab friends with the Pittsburgh shooting suspect, Robert Bowers. Authorities said on his Gab account, Jeffrey Clark had written that Bowers was a "hero" and the victims of the shooting "deserved exactly what happened to them and so much worse." He also said the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting "was a dry run for things to come."

Detectives said Jeffrey Clark's agitation grew after his younger brother Edward Clark, who officials said was also heavily involved in the alt-right movement, shot and killed himself on Roosevelt Island the day of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

Police said when they found the 23-year-old's body, they also found two additional ammunition magazines and a cellphone, but no suicide note.

After his brother's death, family members said Jeffrey Clark became more outspoken about his views and stated that he and Edward Clark had both fantasized about killing "Jews and blacks." They also said Jeffrey Clark openly admired Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski, and Charles Manson, according to court records.