Police: Suspect shouted 'Hail Hitler' before shooting incident after Spencer event

— -- Five arrests were made Thursday in connection with an event that self-described white supremacist Richard Spencer held at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.

Three men were arrested for their alleged role in a shooting incident following Spencer's speech, according to the Gainesville Police Department. The three suspects "engaged in an argument with another group of people that turned violent with gunfire," police said in a press release today.

The three individuals -- Tyler Tenbrink, 28, William Fears, 30, and Colton Fears, 28 -- are all from Texas, according to police.

The police report for Tenbrink states that while in a car, the suspects pulled up to the victims and one of the three men shouted "Hail Hitler and other chants" before "an argument ensued." According to police, Tenbrink got out of the vehicle with a handgun and threatened to kill the victims, while the two other men encouraged him to shoot them. Polie said Tenbrink fired a single shot that "thankfully missed the group" and hit a nearby building.

One of the victims was able to get the car's license plate number before it drove away, police said.

The suspects fled in a car and were later arrested by an off-duty officer who noticed the car while driving home from working at the Spencer event, police said. At least two of the three suspects are connected to extremist groups, according to police. All three remain in the Alachua County Jail and are under at least $1 million bond.

The Alachua County Sheriff said two other people were arrested. Sean Brijmohan, 28, was charged with possession of a firearm on school property. The office said in a tweet that he had brought a gun onto the campus after being hired by a media organization as security. David Notte, 34, was charged with resisting an officer without violence.

Security measures were in place throughout Gainesville. The added precautions stem partly from Gov. Rick Scott’s decision on Wednesday to declare a state of emergency before the event.

Leading up to the start of the event, audience members at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts began to boo before Spencer even took the stage. Once he did, attendees began chanting phrases like "Go home, Spencer!" and "Say it loud, say it clear, Nazis are not welcome here!"

Spencer berated the audience for believing in free speech but not letting him speak.

"What are you trying to achieve then?" Spencer asked the crowd. "You all have an amazing opportunity to be a part of the most important free speech event perhaps in our lifetime. This is when the rubber hits the road with the question of the First Amendment."

While demonstrations remained peaceful, police continued to circulate among protesters and reporters in the street near the auditorium after the event began.

One flare-up in the crowd occurred when a man wearing a shirt with Nazi swastikas entered the anti-Spencer protest area. The man was in the area for work and wanted to hear Spencer speak, he said.

As the man walked through the crowd, he was quickly surrounded by protesters and chanting. He also appeared to have been punched in the mouth and was seen with blood on his teeth and running down his mouth.

The protesters surrounded the man as he walked off campus. At first, police were not able to keep the crowd away from him and had to fall back several times. Police in riot gear and others with batons eventually formed a line to stop the crowd and escorted the man away.

Five people had minor injuries and were immediately treated by fire rescue teams, authorities said.

"Despite our worst fears of violence, the University of Florida and the Gainesville community showed the world that love wins," said University of Florida President Kent Fuchs. "We’re exceptionally grateful to our law enforcement partners and Governor Scott for providing the resources necessary to ensure the safety of our campus and community."

Spencer is the president of a group called the National Policy Institute, which asked to organize an event at the university, a public school. The university originally denied his request in September because of safety concerns. The heightened concern about the event is due to violence surrounding a rally featuring him in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August. One person was killed after a driver plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, and at least 19 others were injured.

But as a state-run entity prohibited from blocking free expression, the school ultimately honored the request, according to its website.

The Gainesville Police Department posted a message on its Facebook page Wednesday, writing, "For months, GPD has been preparing a comprehensive safety and security plan for this week."

"We have been very tight-lipped about our security measures for good reason ... and it's to keep you safe," the statement reads.

"We won't get into exact numbers ... but you can rest assured that there are plenty of extra law enforcement officers in town to help in any situation."

Security costs for the University of Florida Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies total more than $500,000, according to the school website.

Fuchs later said the spending is closer to $600,000, The Associated Press reported.