The Baltimore Sun reports that two men who are thought to be Juggalos — fans of Detroit rap duo Insane Clown Posse — have been arrested and charged with the attempted murder of their roommate in Hebron, Maryland.
The suspects are 33-year-old Paul Martin Hurst of Hebron and 35-year-old Cary Lee Edwards of Williamsburg, Virginia, who allegedly set 31-year-old Zachary Swanson on fire on Monday after attempting to remove his Insane Clown Posse tattoo. Swanson suffered severe burns and is currently being treated at a Baltimore burn center.
After getting into an argument for unknown reasons, Hurst and Edwards allegedly attempted to forcibly remove Swanson's tattoo with a knife, and when they were unable to do so, set Swanson's arm on fire and left him on the ground for several hours before he was finally taken to a hospital. According to police, Swanson's tattoo is "consistent" with that of a Juggalo.
Hurst and Edwards have been charged with first and second degree attempted murder, first and second degree assault, reckless endangerment, and a deadly weapon charge.
While Swanson has been identified as a Juggalo, officials say that there is a "strong possibility" that Hurst and Edwards are Juggalos as well.
Though a suspect's taste in music normally wouldn't have any relevance into a criminal investigation, Juggalos have been controversially classified by the FBI as a "loosely organized hybrid gang."
Insane Clown Posse brought a lawsuit against the FBI for this classification, claiming their reputation has suffered as a result, but was dismissed in early July.
