Couple Who Drew Guns on Protesters Are BLM Supporters

A white couple who stood outside their St. Louis mansion and pointed guns at protesters support the Black Lives Matter movement and don't want to become heroes to those who oppose the cause, their attorney said Monday. Video posted online showed Mark McCloskey, 63, and his 61-year-old wife, Patricia, standing outside their Renaissance palazzo-style home Sunday night in the city’s well-to-do Central West End neighborhood as protesters marched toward the mayor’s home to demand her resignation. He could be heard yelling while holding a long-barreled gun. His wife stood next to him with a handgun. Mark McCloskey told KMOV-TV that he and his wife, who are personal injury lawyers, were facing an “angry mob” on their private street and feared for their lives Sunday night, the AP reports.

Their attorney, Albert Watkins, told the AP 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.” No charges have been brought, though police and the circuit attorney's office are still investigating. (Much more on the incident, and what protesters wanted, here.)