ST. LOUIS (KMOX/AP) - A group of neighbors who live near the couple that held a long-barreled gun and handgun, and aimed them at protesters, are voicing their opinions in disagreement with what Mark McCloskey, 63, and his 61-year-old wife, Patricia did.
Dozens of their Central West End neighbors signed a letter to "condemn" the "horrific" event on Sunday night. Mark McCloskey said he and wife, who are personal injury lawyers, were facing an "angry mob" on their private street and feared for their lives.
Here is the full letter posted by one of the neighbors on Facebook:
No charges were brought against McCloskeys. Police said they were still investigating but labeled it a case of trespassing and assault by intimidation against the couple by protesters in the racially diverse crowd.
Their attorney, Albert Watkins, told The Associated Press on Monday that the couple are long-time civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. He said they grabbed their guns when two or three protesters — who were white — violently threatened the couple and their property and that of their neighbors.
“The most important thing for them is that their images (holding the guns) don’t become the basis for a rallying cry for people who oppose the Black Lives Matter message,” Watkins said. “They want to make it really clear that they believe the Black Lives Matter message is important.”