North Carolina Protest Shooting Suspect Appears To Have Ties to Organized Neo-Confederacy, Hate Groups
Police in Salisbury, North Carolina, Sunday, May 31, after they reportedly fired weapons near two groups of protesters. One man, identified by news reports as Jeffrey Alan Long, 49 of Kernersville, appears to be a member of a neo-Confederate biker group and have social media ties to neo-Confederate hate.
According to WCNC Charlotte, police in Salisbury, North Carolina, separated two groups of clashing protesters at the site of a local 听on Sunday.
A 听reads in part:
At 7 p.m., officers witnessed [Jeffrey] Long pull a handgun from his waistband and fire two rounds into the air from a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. He put the gun back in his waistband and walked away towards the 100 block of Church Street, followed by protestors. Officers took Long into custody as he made his way back to the intersection, recovering a second handgun from an ankle holster.
WBTV News Reporter Dave Whisenant听听of Long as he was arrested.
According to the Rowan County Court database, Long has been arraigned on two counts听of 鈥淢isdemeanor Carrying a Concealed Weapon,鈥� and one count of 鈥淒ischarge of a Firearm Inside City Limits.鈥�
Hatewatch has identified a Facebook account that appears to belong to Long. The account belonging to 鈥淛eff Long鈥� of Summerfield, North Carolina, showcases the user鈥檚 support for Confederate causes and features multiple photographs of a man bearing a striking resemblance to the Jeffrey Long arrested Sunday in Salisbury. 鈥淛eff Long鈥� is Facebook friends with multiple individuals connected to hate and extremism, including Gary Williamson, the leader of ACTBAC NC听(Alamanace County Taking Back Alamance County, North Carolina) a nearby neo-Confederate hate group.
Jeff Long鈥檚 Facebook profile photo听features a banner with the caption 鈥淚 support Confederate heritage鈥� and a Confederate flag. Just visible in the back seat of Mr. Long鈥檚 truck is a leather vest commonly worn by members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans鈥� (SCV) 鈥淢echanized Cavalry.鈥�
Also known as 鈥淢ech Cav,鈥� the group is a self-described 鈥渟pecial interest group of SCV members who like to ride motorcycles to assist in the Charge of the SCV.鈥�
The vest, or 鈥渒utte,鈥� visible in Long鈥檚 Facebook profile features a sewn Confederate Battle Flag patch and another partially obscured patch.
The Facebook page for the 鈥溾�� features multiple photographs that appear to show the same man, Long, along with posts featuring Long and describing him as a member and 鈥渃ompatriot.鈥�
A June 2018 SCV 听identifies 鈥淛eff Long and Nathanial Long鈥� as members of the Frazier camp.
An October 2018 听identified Long as having attended an SCV dinner during which Long 鈥渟hared stories about generations of his family who served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the 2nd War for Independence.鈥�
The 鈥�2nd War for Independence鈥� is a euphemism popular among neo-Confederates to refer to the Civil War, whitewashing the Civil War鈥檚 purpose to maintain chattel slavery in the antebellum South.
Hatewatch also verified Jeffrey Alan Long鈥檚 involvement in the Sons of Confederate of Veterans through a leaked membership list supplied to Hatewatch by journalist Charlie McGee. 鈥檚 involvement with ongoing protests around the University of North Carolina鈥檚 鈥淪ilent Sam鈥� memorial and a scheme to route millions of dollars to the neo-Confederate organization through the UNC system.
The Kernersville, North Carolina, address in the SCV roster matches with public records reports identifying a 49-year-old 鈥淛effrey Alan Long.鈥�
A Jeffrey Long identified himself as a member of SCV Mech Cav on a 听on July
13, responding to the question 鈥淎re you SCV Mechanized Cavalry member?鈥� by replying 鈥淵es. NCSCVMC #3226, Shoney.鈥� The 鈥淛eff Long鈥� Facebook account features a photograph of the Shoney鈥檚 鈥淏ig Boy鈥� mascot with the caption 鈥淪honey.鈥�
Allegations of racism and bigotry have plagued the SCV for years, although its leadership maintains that the organization does not stand for intolerance. Nevertheless, Hatewatch has repeatedly documented connections听between the group and members of neo-Confederate hate groups such as the League of the South.
In May 2019, Long attended an event hosted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, another neo-Confederate 鈥渉eritage group.鈥� Long was photographed that day speaking with SCV spokesman Frank Powell and other members, including League of the South/Mech Cav dual-member , who participated in the deadly 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally on Aug. 12, 2017.
Other photos taken听by photojournalist听Anthony Crider show Long 听Keith Kidwell.
Megan Squire is听a data scientist who researches the far right. She used her expertise to assist Hatewatch in identifying Long's extremist affiliations. (Disclaimer:听Squire and Crider, the photojournalist who captured images of Long at an SCV event, are married.鈥�)听When asked about SCV's connection to organized hate, Squire said:
The links between SCV and systemic racism are obvious, and are well-trod ground. Their persistent ties to racist and violent groups like League of the South surface regularly, and photographs showing SCV members socializing with League members and members of state government are 鈥� sadly 鈥� not at all surprising. Still, at this moment of political upheaval and deep pain across America, one of these neo-Confederate types has 鈥� once again 鈥� chosen to engage in physical threats and confrontation against peaceful protesters rather than doing the work to repair the damage their hateful ideology has wrought. It鈥檚, frankly, just pathetic.
A post on Jeff Long鈥檚 Facebook two days before his arrest features a meme that makes his views on race and the current nationwide political strife over police brutality abundantly clear. The three-panel meme features black Americans and U.S. representative Ilhan Omar, warning that if we 鈥淚mport Somalia,鈥� and 鈥淓lect Somalia,鈥� then we will 鈥渂ecome Somalia.鈥�
Hatewatch reached out by phone to Jeffrey Long to ask whether he is the same man who was arrested at Sunday鈥檚 protest. We did not receive a response by press time. We also reached out by phone to North Carolina SCV Commander Kevin Stone for comment and did not hear back.
