Indian American ‘neo-nazi’ arrested for crashing security barrier near White House
Sai Varshith Kandula, of Chesterfield, Missouri, faces charges, including making threats to kill or harm president and vice president
An Indian American was arrested for intentionally crashing a U-Haul truck into a security barrier near the White House on Monday night.
According to the US Park Police, Sai Varshith Kandula, a 19-year-old resident of Chesterfield, Missouri, is currently in custody and has been charged with various offenses, including making threats to kill or harm a president, vice president, or a family member.
No injuries were reported among agency or White House personnel. Kandula’s truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street, shortly before 10 p.m. ET. The Secret Service stated that a preliminary investigation suggests the driver may have intentionally targeted the barrier.
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Media reports indicate that following the crash, bomb technicians conducted a thorough search of the truck and no explosives or incendiary devices were discovered.
According to media reports, items recovered from the truck include a flag resembling a swastika, a black backpack, and a roll of duct tape. However, the cargo area of the moving truck appeared to be empty.
The LinkedIn profile associated with the name Sai Varshith Kandula indicates that the person attended Marquette Sr. High School in Chesterfield, MO. However, it should be noted that The American Bazaar could not confirm whether this LinkedIn account indeed belongs to the suspect in question.
As per the LinkedIn profile, Kandula is interested in pursuing a career in the field of data analytics and mentions actively seeking job opportunities.
He writes: “I currently do not have any job experience, since this is why I am actively searching for jobs in order for me to apply my skills when I do get a job in order to build experience in a company, although I learned, and taken multiple credential courses about programming, and coding languages for about 5 years which is the kind of experience I would say I have had besides a job experience.”
Initial reports suggested that the suspect was believed to be a white supremacist, as he carried a flag resembling a swastika. But the identification of an Indian American as the individual responsible for the crash sparked a debate on social media platforms, particularly among conservative users.
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“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that Sai Varshith Kandula is probably not Mexican,” tweeted Donald Trump, Jr., son of former President Donald J. Trump.
Twitter user @amuse wrote. “The driver who drove a UHaul into a curb filled only with a fresh new Nazi flag was 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula. Why are all the Nazis these days Indian, Hispanic, or Black?”
Another user, @The_Temple_Co, wrote:
“Let me get this straight. A slow moving empty truck containing nothing but a Nazi flag & driven by a guy named Sai Varshith Kandula who is supposed to be a white supremasist bumped the White House gates? They aren’t even trying anymore.”
