Shooting at protestors in SLC

[Bo Diddley]

Agree with most of this. I guess im empathetic to the "peace keeper." Thats a split second call. In a lot these instances the criticism has been that people don't react soon enough.

If what the guy with rifle wasn't illegal it should be.

That's why people need training before taking on the role of keeping the peace. Innocent bystander dead: FAIL.

[Northwestcoug]

So...I was there. The person who was shot was maybe 20 ft. behind me. My lasting memory of this event will be seeing my wife and daughter running away in terror. The event was very peaceful before this happened. I feel like this shooting underscores the very reason there should be tighter gun regulation, but even more than that the gun culture in this country is out of control.

That is terrible. I hope none of my family ever has to witness something like that.

[chrisrenrut]

On Reddit, there are several people who are saying they know the guy with the rifle and that he was a left-wing protestor that frequently brought his rifle to protests. There is also a video showing that the guy did not have his rifle raised when the "peacekeeper" opened fire. Sounds like the peacekeeper lied to the police about what happened to cover his ass.

Here's the video:

https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB

Left-wing activist that owns and publicly carries an AR-15 doesn’t quite compute. It saying it isn’t correct, but it just seems a bit incongruent.

[Moliere]

So...I was there. The person who was shot was maybe 20 ft. behind me. My lasting memory of this event will be seeing my wife and daughter running away in terror. The event was very peaceful before this happened. I feel like this shooting underscores the very reason there should be tighter gun regulation, but even more than that the gun culture in this country is out of control.

Yikes, that’s terrifying.

[wally]

Agree with most of this. I guess im empathetic to the "peace keeper." Thats a split second call. In a lot these instances the criticism has been that people don't react soon enough.

If what the guy with rifle wasn't illegal it should be.

This reads like a person siding with the police regarding a report of an officer-involved shooting, just saying. I think deference should be given to police, but not necessarily vigilante "peacekeepers."

[bluegoose]

That's why people need training before taking on the role of keeping the peace. Innocent bystander dead: FAIL.

That's one of my big concerns about the dudes that carry to our sacrament meetings or other activities. If someone unwelcomingly comes into the meeting, I think 80 year old brother so and so is the last person I want grabbing his gun out of his fanny pack, waving it around, trying to get a bead on the bad guy.

[frank ryan]

This reads like a person siding with the police regarding a report of an officer-involved shooting, just saying. I think deference should be given to police, but not necessarily vigilante "peacekeepers."

How would you have wanted done? I don't think people should be able to open carry like that guy did.

[PaloAltoCougar]

That's why people need training before taking on the role of keeping the peace. Innocent bystander dead: FAIL.

I remember an article from a while back about extensive studies that have demonstrated that unless a person has regular (weekly or more often, as I vaguely recall), the accuracy of any person in a high-pressure situation is terrible and will very often result in death or injury to innocent others. Packing heat for protective purposes is more likely to harm innocents than stop the offender.

[falafel]

On Reddit, there are several people who are saying they know the guy with the rifle and that he was a left-wing protestor that frequently brought his rifle to protests. There is also a video showing that the guy did not have his rifle raised when the "peacekeeper" opened fire. Sounds like the peacekeeper lied to the police about what happened to cover his ass.

Here's the video:

https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB

I don't see the gunman leveling his weapon in that video.

Also, the "designated peace keeper" is probably some law student. That guy aint going to do anything.

[falafel]

This reads like a person siding with the police regarding a report of an officer-involved shooting, just saying. I think deference should be given to police, but not necessarily vigilante "peacekeepers."

what "vigilante peacekeeper" acts did this guy take? I legitimately don't know.

[USUC]

I can't tell anything from that video and the online narrative all over social media may prove to be very wrong. Some national people think that the dude with the AR was about to do a mass shooting and the guys that shot the innocent bystander saved many lives. But I'm not sure I see evidence yet this guy was about to do a mass shooting.

[UVACoug]

The victim was a somewhat famous fashion designer that was a contestant on Project Runway a few years ago. I remember watching his season. Seemed like a very sweet guy and quite talented. Obviously it's terrible when this happens to anyone, but it hits a little harder when it is someone you're familiar with.

[wally]

what "vigilante peacekeeper" acts did this guy take? I legitimately don't know.

Based on the articles I've read: the guy with the AR was walking toward the protest, the peacekeeper guy engages him verbally and draws his pistol, then the AR guy starts running or something and the peacekeeper guy shoots is pistol 3 times winging the AR guy, but fatally shooting a bystander.

The AR guy seems like a whacko, and he has been detained and charged, I think. The peacekeeper guy (who actually shot the bystander, per my understanding) is cooperating with authorities, supposedly, but you still gotta wonder about a guy that is effectively a wannabe protest cop. I also read somewhere that the protest organizers asked all "peacekeepers" to come unarmed, but that might just be an effort by organizers to distance themselves from the tragedy.

The REAL important information has yet to emerge: WHAT WERE THE POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS OF ALL PARTIES, I.E. WHO DO WE BLAME? DEMS OR REPUBS?? ONE OF THEM MUST BE BLAMED, AND IT BETTER NOT BE MY SIDE!!

[frank ryan]

Based on the articles I've read: the guy with the AR was walking toward the protest, the peacekeeper guy engages him verbally and draws his pistol, then the AR guy starts running or something and the peacekeeper guy shoots is pistol 3 times winging the AR guy, but fatally shooting a bystander.

The AR guy seems like a whacko, and he has been detained and charged, I think. The peacekeeper guy (who actually shot the bystander, per my understanding) is cooperating with authorities, supposedly, but you still gotta wonder about a guy that is effectively a wannabe protest cop. I also read somewhere that the protest organizers asked all "peacekeepers" to come unarmed, but that might just be an effort by organizers to distance themselves from the tragedy.

The REAL important information has yet to emerge: WHAT WERE THE POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS OF ALL PARTIES, I.E. WHO DO WE BLAME? DEMS OR REPUBS?? ONE OF THEM MUST BE BLAMED, AND IT BETTER NOT BE MY SIDE!!

It reminds me of Kyle Rittenhouse

[MartyFunkhouser]

I hate to be accused of not letting a tragedy go to waste here, but maybe we should reconsider constitutional carry laws in Utah including that you can openly carry an AR-15 in public?

I'm not sure who is responsible here. The video obviously gives some information, but not the full picture. This dude may have just been legally walking around at a protest with an AR-15, but maybe that shouldn't actually be allowed.