MA Hate Group Founder No Longer Lives In Malden: Police Chief

MALDEN, MA — Chris Hood, the 22-year-old who founded a hate group that participated in Wednesday's riots on Capitol Hill, no longer lives in Malden, Police Chief Kevin Molis said.

Molis said he received calls from concerned residents and local officials after Patch published an article Thursday outlining NSC-131's participation in Wednesday's riot and the group's rapid rise since Hood founded it in late 2019. Molis assigned a detective to find out whether Hood was still living at the address listed for him in public records.

"I can tell you he's no longer living in Malden, and I know where he lives," Molis said. Molis said Hood was living in a town "north of here" but declined to release the name of the town because Hood "hasn't been charged with a crime."

Previously on Patch: Massachusetts Hate Group Had Role In Capitol Hill Riot

Screenshots taken from Telegram, the encrypted social network NSC-131 uses to communicate, showed members holding up the group's logo during Wednesday's riot. It's not clear if Hood participated in Wednesday's riots in Washington, D.C. Patch left messages at Hood's listed phone number and will update this story if he responds.

NSC stands for "Nationalist Social Club," according to the Anti-Defamation League, and 131 is the alphanumeric code for ACA, or Anti-Communist Action. There are chapters around the United States and in France, Hungary and Germany.

"Originally named the New England Nationalists Club (NENC), the group was started in December 2019 by a handful of neo-Nazis in Eastern Massachusetts," the ADL says in its dossier on NSC-131. "Led by Chris Hood, the group's original focus was covering up anarchist and gang graffiti with their own graffiti in the areas of Worcester, Boston, Quincy, Rutland and Sturbridge."

The group renamed itself the Nationalist Social Club in early 2020 and expanded in May when the white supremacist group Legion of St. Ambrose fell apart and many of its members joined NSC-131. Since then, according to ADL, the group has added chapters in Florida, Kentucky, Texas and Virginia. ADL said it also identified members in Arizona, Indiana, New Hampshire and New York.

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).