Chapel Hill, NC — Mystery surrounds a secretive group, known as the “Zizians,” that has been linked to a series of violent incidents across multiple states. The investigation gained momentum after a recent shootout involving U.S. Border Patrol agents in Vermont, which left one agent and a group member dead.
The roots of the bizarre saga trace back to properties in the wooded outskirts of Chapel Hill, where unusual activities raised suspicions. Neighbors reported seeing tenants dressed in long black robes. The unusual sightings included individuals who walked silently at night, sometimes holding hands, and vehicles like box trucks equipped with unusual implements like stretchers.
Central to the group is an enigmatic figure known as “Ziz,” identified as Jack LaSota, a computer scientist with a background that includes an internship at a prestigious national agency. LaSota, who identifies as a transgender woman, began expressing increasingly radical views online under the moniker “Ziz” around 2016, intertwining concepts of radical veganism, anarchism, and advanced technology.
The collective, principally comprising young, tech-savvy individuals, purportedly shared an anarchist ideology. Their interactions, primarily online, later manifested in real-world gatherings and actions that escalated in violence. Their motivations appear to revolve around complex narratives of personal and societal grievances augmented by a critique of modern cognitive science and its communities.
Experts suggest the allure of the group’s ideology, particularly in online spaces, may hinge on a sense of visibility it offers its followers. “For someone feeling unseen and unheard, such messages resonate deeply, offering a sense of belonging and validation,” explained Poulomi Saha, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in the study of cults.
In one violent episode in California, the group clashed with law enforcement when they barricaded a retreat center protesting against a rationalist group they accused of sexual misconduct. This incident marked the beginning of a series of confrontations with authorities.
The narrative took a grim turn with a series of deaths linked to the group, including the double homicide of an elderly couple in Pennsylvania and the fatal attack on a landlord in California during an eviction dispute. These incidents marked an escalation of the group’s violent activities, with LaSota sometimes personally involved in altercations.
In Vermont, the confrontation that killed a Border Patrol agent unfolded swiftly when a vehicle carrying members of the group was stopped. The driver, identified only in court documents, reportedly opened fire, resulting in casualties on both sides. This incident culminated in significant national attention and added urgency to the investigation.
Authorities continue to piece together the complex web of relationships and events involving the Zizians. With LaSota still unaccounted for and several members facing legal repercussions, the full scope and intentions of their actions remain unclear. Neighbors and those who have encountered the group remain cautious, given the group’s history of unpredictability and aggression.
As the community and nation watch closely, the question looms large: what drives such a group toward such extreme actions, and what might they have planned next? As the investigation continues, law enforcement hopes to prevent further violence and uncover the motivations behind this obscure and dangerous collective.