'Boogaloo Bois' member charged in attack on Minneapolis police building during George Floyd protests

October 23, 2020October 23, 2020 WKXA

BlakeDavidTaylor/iStockBy ALEXANDER MALLIN, ABC News

(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) — A self-described member of the ‘Boogaloo Bois’ has been charged with participating in a riot after he allegedly shot 13 rounds from an AK-47 style assault rifle into a Minneapolis Police Department building during the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd in late May.

Ivan Hunter, 26, is accused of traveling from Texas to Minneapolis to meet up with other members of the ‘Boogaloo Bois’ with the goal of carrying out acts of violence during the riots.

The FBI describes the ‘Boogaloo Bois’ as a loosely-connected group driven by militant anti-government sentiments. Members of the group regularly refer to the ‘Boogaloo’ as an impending civil war they expect will be incited by accelerationist acts of terror.

Federal investigators said they reviewed video of Hunter firing rounds with his AK-47 style assault rifle into the Third Precinct building while looters were still inside and that he also helped assist them in setting the building on fire.

According to an FBI affidavit, after shooting into the building Hunter hi-fived another individual and while walking towards the camera yelled, “Justice for Floyd!”

The affidavit additionally states that Hunter was pinned as the shooter by an unidentified cooperating defendant.

Hunter is the third ‘Boogaloo Bois’ member to face federal charges for his role in the Minneapolis riots, along with Michael Solomon and Benjamin Teeter — who were previously indicted on charges of conspiracy to provide material support for a foreign terrorist organization. All three were communicating and coordinating their movements regularly through the night of the riots, according to the FBI affidavit.

During the course of the FBI’s investigation of Hunter they additionally found he was connected to Boogaloo Bois member Steven Carillo who has been separately charged in the murder of a Federal Protective Officer in Oakland, California.

The two are alleged to have exchanged messages immediately after both the arson of the Third Precinct building and the murder of the FPS officer where Carillo stated he was “currently in hide mode.” Responding to a message from Hunter where he stated Carillo should “go for police buildings,” Carillo allegedly responded, “I did better lol.”

After the riots, Hunter also posted to Facebook bragging about his actions in Minneapolis writing, “I helped the community burn down that police station in Minneapolis,” adding, “I didn’t’ protest peacefully Dude … Want something to change? Start risking felonies for what is good.”

He also wrote that BLM protesters “loved me [sic] fireteam and I.”

The U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota said Hunter was taken into custody Wednesday. It was not immediately clear as of Friday afternoon whether he has had an attorney assigned to his case.