The sister of a young man killed in Tampa Palms said her brother and his friend were not white supremacists.

But the accused killer says they were.

  • Alyssa Himmelman defends brother and his friend
  • They were shot, killed May 19
  • Devon Arthurs faces charges in the shootings

"To be radical and extremist, that is not my brother," said Alyssa Himmelman.

Himmelman said her brother, 22-year-old Jeremy Himmelman and his friend, 18-year-old Andrew Oneshuk, did not belong to any hate groups.

The two roommates were slain May 19 in their Tampa Palms townhouse. Tampa Police said it was by another roommate, Devon Arthurs.

Police say Arthurs told them he had a double motive for the slayings. He said his roommates had disrespected his recent conversion to Islam and they were planning a domestic terror attack.

According to court filings, Arthurs said he had to stop them from carrying out their terror plot.

Alyssa Himmelman calls Arthurs's claims lies, and said that it was Arthurs and another roommate who were the neo-Nazis. She said tension had been growing in the townhouse and that there had been in a fight about an American flag.

"Devon liked to use the American flag as a doormat," she said. "He would wipe his feet and spit on it. Jeremy and Andrew would pick it up and hang it back up."

As for a domestic terror plot, Himmelman said blaming the victims is convenient since they can't defend themselves now.

Detectives found explosives inside the garage. Federal authorities have charged a fourth roommate, Brandon Russell, with possession of the explosives.

As for the allegation that her brother was plotting domestic terror, Himmelman said that is the lie of a murderer.

"Andrew loved America. He was about to go into the military."