A man was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Oregon after clashes erupted between Black Lives Matter protesters and a large caravan of President Trump’s supporters, police said.
The pro-Trump rally drew hundreds of trucks full of supporters. After the caravan of vehicles stretching for miles entered downtown Portland, Trump supporters were filmed shooting paintball guns from the beds of pickup trucks and protesters throwing objects back at them.
The Portland Police Bureau said in a statement that a homicide investigation was underway after officers responded to the sounds of gunfire, the New York Times reports.
The victim of the shooting was wearing a hat with “Patriot Prayer” emblazoned across the front, according to reports. Patriot Prayer is a far-right group based in Portland that has repeatedly fought with protesters.
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“Police responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Medical responded and determined that the victim was deceased,” Portland police said, adding that information on the suspect would not be released.
In another statement released early Sunday, police acknowledged videos circulating on social media purporting to show the shooting.
One person was shot dead in Portland in a clash between rival protesters. Police, however, did not immediately link the shooting death to the protests https://t.co/ystK7rnNq8 pic.twitter.com/HEzwg2Ui7H
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 30, 2020
Police said the caravan left before 9 p.m. but noted that fights also broke out in the hours after the shooting. Police said there was “sporadic fighting and vandalism” as groups moved downtown late that evening. Ten people were arrested and are facing charges, including disorderly conduct and reckless burning, police added.
“GREAT PATRIOTS,” Trump said in a post on Twitter early Sunday morning that included video of the caravan.
Instead of calling for unity in a moment of crisis, President Trump fired off another tweet blaming Portland’s mayor for the violence:
The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing. The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer.The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard! https://t.co/bM6ypak94t
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
