LGBTQ activists identified in violent attack on father, son

Video footage from an Indiana Pride event shows a pro-LGBTQ activist attacking a teenager as he attempted to help his injured father, who was also allegedly attacked.

The incident occurred in front of the Well Coffee House on Mishawaka Avenue in South Bend, as it hosted the LGBTQ Center’s annual drag show for kids on June 7.

According to witnesses, the father and son were walking on the public sidewalk near the coffee shop when two individuals claiming to be security for the event assaulted the father without provocation. 

The suspects were later identified as Troy Moss and Tonna Robinson, well-known left-wing activists in the area, according to REAL News Michiana (RNM). 

Moss reportedly pinned the father against a wall while Robinson hit him in the head with a large brass bell. Both suspects reportedly fled the scene immediately after the assault. 

The son was apparently attacked after he tried to call 911. The video obtained by RNM shows another activist forcibly disconnect the call, put the teenager in a headlock, punch him in the face and wrestle him to the ground. The teen’s phone was left on the ground and subsequently stolen by another activist, according to RNM. 

Later in the video, the teen’s father is seen bleeding from a head wound as he sits on the ground against a wall. 

The father was later taken to the hospital where he received six stitches and underwent a CT scan. 

Moss and Robinson are both affiliated with the Northern Indiana Atheists (NIA), a nonprofit established to “fight state/church violations on a local level.”  

Moss is the president of the NIA and the only staff member listed on NIA’s official website. 

Before Friday’s drag show, NIA encouraged attendees to hide their faces from anticipated protesters and made statements about promoting love and safety. 

“We will shield families from protesters and hate speech, and reassure our LGBTQ neighbors that the community is committed to their safety,” NIA posted on Facebook. “You’re invited to stand (or bring a chair and sit) with us and affirm that love is greater than hate. 

“Protesters will be recording, so wear a hat/mask/sunglasses if you don’t want to be identified. We will talk to each other and welcome folks as they enter, but strongly discourage engaging with protesters.”  

The NIA shares many members with the local chapter of Antifa and former abortion clinic volunteers known as “Deathscorts,.” 

One group member was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police for nearly running over a congresswoman with his car in 2021 and also investigated by the FBI for threats against a pro-life organization, according to RNM. 

In 2021, Robinson posted a photo on Facebook to celebrate a South Bend Police Department squad car being set on fire.  

In the caption she told people to “shut the f*** up” if they had information regarding the crime.  

“Damn. Nobody inside? I wanted more good cops,” one commenter replied to Robinson’s post, referring to the Antifa’s mantra “only good cop is a dead cop.”   

Robinson reacted to the post, sharing in the commenters displeasure that no one had been killed.  

When asked if there were “any issues” during this year’s drag show event, NIA replied on Facebook, “Nothing we couldn’t handle.”  

At time of publication, no arrests have been made related to the attack.