US: Paralegal killed in Charlottesville terrorist attack allegedly carried out by fascist

A 32-year-old paralegal was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday in a terrorist attack allegedly carried out by a fascist and white supremacist.

Heather Heyer, from Ruckersville but living in Charlottesville, worked in the bankruptcy department of the Miller Law Group.

She was killed and 19 others were injured when a car rammed into a crowd of people in what began as a peaceful counter-protest against a gathering of white supremacists, fascists and neo-Nazis.

Larry Miller, president of Miller Law group, told NBC News: “She was conscientious, precise and always striving to improve her work.

“She cared about the clients. She had her opinions and would defend them with vigor. She was a peaceful person. She loved her dog, Violet. She was full of life, and her time was cut short, and I know that I will miss her. I am in shock.”

In a statement, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) said Ms Heyer - reportedly one of their members - had “lost their life on the front line of the battle against fascism”.

Police have arrested 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, in connection with the attack.

According to local media reports, he has been charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and failure to stop following an accident resulting in death.

Photos circulated online show Mr Fields Jr. attending the earlier white supremacist rally while carrying a shield bearing the insignia of Vanguard America, a group describing itself as “the face of American fascism”. The group has said the shields “do not denote membership”.