Aryan Brotherhood Member Arrested In Connection With Drive-By Shooting Spree

A man Oklahoma City police identified on Thursday as a member of the United Aryan Brotherhood was arrested two days ago in connection to a drive-by shooting spree. Police have an arrest warrant for a second shooter who was with 34-year-old Kevin Nicholas.

Police said most of the shootings appeared to be random, but one victim told officers they believed they were intentionally targeted by the white supremacist prison gang member.

The string of drive-by shootings started just after 6 p.m. Tuesday night. Police said Nicholas and a man identified in court documents as Mark Rogers first targeted a home near Lake Overholser. One of the victims told officers her brother is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and believed that was the motive. 

“Following that call officers began receiving several different shooting calls,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk.

Officers went to a reported shooting near northwest 10th and Council Road, one at northwest 50th and Council Road and another near northwest 72nd and Council Road. The victims all described a white Blazer and were shot at multiple times.  

“I was on my way to a late night plumbing call, and I was driving down Council,” said Denver Swearingin, shooting victim. “All of the sudden I hear a loud pop. I thought my tire blew or I ran over something.”

Swearingin said a second shot went straight through his windshield and out the other side of the van. The bullet passed inches from him.

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Swearingin.

The shooters did not stop there. A woman with children in her car near the Northwest Expressway and Ann Arbor Avenue was shot at multiple times.

“The person that was shot the bullet actually entered their arm and into their chest cavity,” said Quirk. 

Police said one of the victims was able to get the suspect's tag number. Officers spotted the car near Integris Baptist hospital and pulled it over. Nicholas was arrested and officers found several spent rifle casings in the car.

Bethany police are also investigating a related shooting that happened in their city.  

Nicholas was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on seven drive-by shooting complaints.