Atomwaffen Division

The Atomwaffen Division (AWD, Atomwaffen meaning "atomic weapons" in German) was an international neo-Nazi paramilitary network active from 2015 to 2020. Founded in the Southern United States by Bahamian American neo-Nazi Brandon Russell, AWD expanded across the US and into several other countries. Since its inception, the group grew to several dozen members, with its main cell being based in Tampa, Florida, while also establishing chapters in at least 23 other US states. AWD has been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), designated a terrorist group by multiple governments, and considered "one of the most violent neo-Nazi movements in the 21st century". Members of the AWD have been held responsible for a number of murders, bombings, planned terrorist attacks, and other criminal actions, and have also inspired copycat attacks in Buffalo, New York; El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Halle, Germany; San Diego, California; Aracruz, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.