32-year-old victim killed in Charlottesville protest worked for law firm
The 32-year-old woman who was killed during a violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been identified.
Heather Heyer died Saturday when a car rammed into a group of people who were protesting the presence of white supremacists who had gathered in the city for a rally, according to multiple media outlets. Nearly 20 were injured; many remained hospitalized Sunday.
Heyer – whose Facebook page shared the quote “If You’re Not Outraged, You’re Not Paying Attention” (Anonymous) – was a Virginia native who worked as a paralegal at the Miller Law Group in Charlottesville, according to media reports.
Tributes to #HeatherHeyer poured in on social media, and a GoFundMe page started for her had raised more than $50,000 by mid-Sunday morning.
The driver of the car that hit her, James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Ohio, was charged with second-degree murder and other counts. Federal law enforcement authorities have started a civil rights investigation into the crash. Fields could face federal charges, too, depending on the outcome of that FBI investigation.
Shortly after the car incident, a Virginia State Police helicopter that officials said was assisting with the rally crashed outside Charlottesville, killing the pilot and a trooper.
The chaos that left three dead and dozens more injured over two days boiled over at what is believed to be the largest group of white nationalists to come together in a decade. Virginia’s governor declared a state of emergency, and police dressed in riot gear ordered people out. The group had gathered to protest plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and others arrived to protest the racism.
President Donald Trump criticized the violence and called for a return to law and order. But his critics say his racially-tinged rhetoric has exacerbated the nation’s political tensions and emboldened racists.
VIDEO: Vigil held at SC State House to remember victims
Contributing: The Associated Press
This story was originally published August 13, 2017 at 11:14 AM with the headline "32-year-old victim killed in Charlottesville protest worked for law firm."