A keffiyeh-wearing man who took part in the U.S. Capitol insurrection has been identified by social media users as Tyler Ethridge, a youth pastor from Florida. Ethridge was identified after a video he posted on Parler was shared on Twitter.
Search for the man's identity began after he claimed in the Parler video that he will lose his job as a pastor after taking part in the deadly Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Twitter user @RzstProgramming shared the video and later identified Ethridge as a graduate of Charis Bible College in Colorado. The Twitter user also said that the Ethridge was recently hired as a youth pastor at the non-denominational Christ-Centered Church of Tampa in Dover, Florida.
In the viral Parler video, Ethridge spoke about the violence at the Capitol.
"I don't know if what we're doing is right. But if the election is being stolen, what is it gonna take" Ethridge said. "Really, is it gonna take people just talking about it? I'm probably gonna lose my job as a pastor after this, but what is it gonna take?"
Throughout the video, Ethridge could be seen wearing the keffiyeh and wiping his face with it.
"I don't see anybody out here that are just teachers. I think we're to a point that talk is cheap. And if this makes me lose my reputation, I don't care. I don't care about my reputation; I care about my nation. I care about it for my daughter and my child," he said.
Ethridge also posted various photos on Facebook of himself travelling Washington D.C. to take part in the violence. On Facebook, he claimed that he was moving from Texas to Florida to work at the Christ Centered Church of Tampa. However, in a response to @RzstProgramming's tweet, Ethridge said that he did not live in Florida.
He posted a video ahead of the riots calling for veterans to form militias to "defend our heritage." He said: "This is why you're alive. If your life feels meaningless, that day is over."
Ethridge used two Twitter accounts, of which one is deleted. The second account @tylerethridge15 remained in use, but it was made private. He reportedly tweeted on Monday that he had "nothing to hide" and that he reported himself to the FBI.
