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That's what I thought at first, but the video doesn't support Gamboa raising his rifle. Video is short, and I'm not saying I know the whole story. But another likely possibility in my mind, based on the video, is that Gamboa was attempting to legally open carry. In hindsight might not be the best thing to do at a protest, but it's his legal right. For now I think it's best not to jump to conclusions.
Edit: video link https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB
What video?
The traffic cam video? The detail on that is horrific. I would not attempt to create any theories from that.
If there’s other video to support your statements, can you link it?
I’d say that his actions were not legal or sanctioned. He had the rifle concealed in a carrying case, which he waited until he was middle of a crowd, whereupon he removed it, and regardless of whether or not his handling of the weapon met the legal definition of brandishing it, he still handled it in a manner that incited panic.
If he wanted to open carry, he should have had the firearm openly carried the entire time he was at the protest (including his outside approach to it) and he should have never put his hands on the weapon.
https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB
Ah, I see. That is much clearer.
The testimony given is that Gamboa had pulled out his weapon while hidden behind a barrier, and was in a firing position while running into the crowd is supported the video. At the very beginning of the video, it shows him walking, then running, while holding the weapon in his right hand.
I guess if he ducked away to surreptitiously pull the weapon out, he should have… I don’t know, slung it, rather than held it, and responded to the folks who drew on him, rather than try to run into the crowd.
I wouldn’t have stepped out of cover with my hands on it if that were the case. But also, if I were open carrying, I wouldn’t be wearing a ski mask.
Nothing about his actions read proper to me.
I agree that Gamboa's actions were at the very least inadvisable.
Pointing out: he starts running after the peacekeeper fires upon him, not before.
I don't think we know what happened before that video started. Peacekeepers said they shouted at him to drop the weapon. Was he aware of their presence before they shot? What exactly was said?
The eyewitness accounts I've seen so far in the news seem perhaps one-sided and I've been speculating that the police could have put some trust into the statements of the peacekeepers that they interviewed.
Regarding his ski mask, SLC is a ski town. Many people own balaclavas, and I saw many people at the protest wearing them. I saw pictures of people at the Thursday protest wearing them as well. The organizers pointed out to be careful about taking pictures as some people might not want their identities revealed. Personally, I wore a mask.
A guy in a mask with a gun looks scary, and I don't think what happened is surprising. However, many of the right wing militias open carry while wearing masks. They do so because it is legal and is in fact their right. What I'm ultimately saying is, given the evidence available, if I were on some (fantasy) jury, I would so far be thinking "reasonable doubt".
Unfortunately this is exactly the kind of situation these nuts want to happen. "He was just exercising his rights." He was there to intimidate, harass, and be a nuisance. Probably had wet dreams about some lib with a bat approaching him so he could claim self defense and be a "hero" like that other little bitch a few years back.
If a Democrat showed up to a Trump rally with a gun and a mask the cops would dump mags into them without hesitation.
Sure, but he was a leftist in a punk band with lyrics that were very aligned with the values of the protest. Personally, I'm not seeing the right wing mass shooter angle.
Edit: also not really seeing that his intention would be to get a rise out of the libs either... Though if he's a leftist it could be that he despises libs just as much as he despises conservatives. I've just never seen a leftist act with the same intention as right wing militia guys before. But who knows.
https://www.slugmag.com/soundwaves/episode-364-rade/
Honestly I just assumed he was a right wing nut because this aligns so closely with their typical mo.
"This" being the described story from the shooter's perspective. He made assumptions and that's what was reported in the story. I'm not sure how much of the narrative we should assume is correct. Not that they're lying, just that people make mistakes and memory becomes iffy in stressful situations. The video doesn't match the peacekeeper's order of events.
These fucks always try to score legal kills, same as Kyle Rittenhouse and George Zimmerman. It's not new, but innocent people always end up paying the price.
I'd like to see the video as well. If anyone has a link, would appreciate it.
One of the stupidest laws in existence
It exists because of British troops disarming the populations of their colonies centuries ago, and is implemented in its current state due to a massive number of laws and court cases since.
The US Constitution should have been rewritten from scratch multiple times by now so outdated bits like that went away.
Do Americans not see how insane it is to allow such a "right" at a mass gathering? The risk is so obvious with literally no benefit.
Was that the video where one of the peacekeepers pulls the backpack away from the person and starts shouting about how he has a rifle, and then cops descend on the guy with the rifle?
If so, that might have been them later detaining the peacekeeper who shot the guy who ran into the crowd (the same peacekeeper who accidentally shot the Samoan bystander)?
Or maybe not. This whole situation is very confusing.
Edit: Or more likely, the guy with the rifle who was called out and detailed by cops wasn't the volunteer but instead was the guy who initially ran at the crowd. Either way, it's still a confusing situation.