The man suspected of firing a gun into a crowd of counter-protestors at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia has been arrested, Charlottesville police confirmed.

The man, identified as Maryland resident Richard Wilson Preston, has been charged with discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school – a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Centre, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Police believe Mr Preston is the man who was caught on video shooting at counter-protesters at the rally.

A video tweeted by the ACLU of Virginia shows a white-haired man descending the steps of Emancipation Park, where the rally was held. He passes by a group of counter-protestors, some of whom yell at the rally attendees to “go home". One counter-protestor appears to throw an object at them.

The man identified by police as Mr Preston turns to the crowd and draws his weapon, yelling, “Hey n*****!” Someone in the crowd warns others to get down.

The man lowers his weapon, then raises it again and appears to fire one shot into the crowd. As he walks away, someone in the crowd cries: “That was a gunshot!”

The video also shows Virginia State Police troopers standing about 50 feet away. The officers do not appear to react to the gunshot.

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told CNN the officers did not witness the incident or hear the gunshot.

"Had any one of our troopers witnessed that incident, they would have immediately acted just as they did for the other four arrests made during the weekend," she said.

The ACLU told the Baltimore Sun they had discovered the footage while reviewing photos and videos from the rally. The group said it gave the video to the FBI on 17 August, and to local police several days later.

Mr Preston was arrested on 28 August – two days after the ACLU released the footage on Twitter. The tweet received more than 12,500 retweets.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Mr Preston, 52, has been identified in news reports as an imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan chapter in Maryland.

In 2013, a man who identified himself as Richard Preston attended a community meeting in Cecil County, Maryland, as part of an attempt by the group repair their image.

At the meeting, Mr Preston said that the KKK was not a hate group, and had been falsely labelled as such. He said that the group only wanted to take back their country, which they felt was on the wrong path. He promised to continue speaking out about the Klan at community meetings.

"We're going to do this all over America nonstop," Mr Preston said. "We're not going to stop. We need to save America."

Charlottesville police said two more people had been arrested in connection with the rally: Daniel Patrick Borden and Alex Michael Ramos. Both were charged with malicious wounding.

One prominent rally participant, Christopher Cantwell, was arrested earlier this month on charges of malicious bodily injury and illegal use of tear gas. He was denied bail last week.