Border Patrol Agent Killing Tied to Fringe Group with Violent History

Teresa Youngblut, accused in the Vermont shooting, is linked to a radical ideology and multiple homicide investigations across the U.S.

Teresa Youngblut, 21, has been charged in the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland during a traffic stop in Vermont on January 20, 2025.
Youngblut and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, were under surveillance prior to the shooting; Bauckholt was killed during the confrontation.
Youngblut and Maximilian Snyder, recently charged in the California murder of Curtis Lind, are connected to a fringe group called the 'Zizians,' described as a radical offshoot of the Rationalist movement.
Authorities are investigating ties between the Vermont shooting, the California murder, and a 2022 double homicide in Pennsylvania, with links to a person of interest who purchased firearms used in the crimes.
The Zizians, described as a 'murder gang,' promote extreme ideologies involving veganism, AI ethics, and anarchist principles, with several members implicated in violent incidents.