Supporter at right-wing 'Patriot Rally' shot dead after macing a TV security guard at Denver protest
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Sophia Ankel
Oct 12, 2020, 00:31 IST
Protesters burn a police flag in front of law enforcement officers during dueling rallies between right and left-wing groups in Denver, Colorado, on October 10, 2020.Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
A private security guard from a local television station is in custody after he shot and killed another man during a rival protest by left-wing and right-wing groups in Denver, Colorado.
The right-wing "Patriot Rally" was met by a group of counter-protesters who called their rally the "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive" on Saturday.
The incident occurred after a protester participating in the "Patriot Rally" sprayed mace at another man, who then shot him with a handgun.
The shooting was captured on camera by a photojournalist from the Denver Post.
WARNING: Graphic content in the post below.
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A private security guard is in custody after he shot and killed another man during a rival protest by left-wing and right-wing groups in Denver, Colorado on Saturday.
The security guard was reportedly a contractor for local television station 9News. It later said on its website that it has "been the practice for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests."
The shooting took place in the courtyard of the Denver Art Museum during a "Patriot Rally" that was met by a group of counter-protesters who called their rally "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive."
According to witnesses at the scene, the supporter participating in the "Patriot Rally" sprayed mace at another man after a verbal altercation, who in return, shot him with his handgun.
In a press conference, Division Chief Joe Montoya said that two guns and a can of mace were found at the scene.
Police could not confirm the affiliations of either the shooter or the man who died but said the incident started as a verbal altercation.
"We're hopeful that as soon as possible we can get the factual information out as to what led to this — who the individuals involved were," Montoya said, according to the Denver Post."We're hopeful that that information will help kind of calm the waters a little bit."
Police later tweeted the security guard had no affiliation with Antifa, according to the Post.
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Before the shooting, the protests had been mostly peaceful and consisted largely of each group yelling at each other from across an amphitheater, which separated the two rallies.
The right-wing protesters were chanting patriotic songs and held up banners, while the left-wing "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive" waved flags and signs condemning Nazis and white supremacists.
Authorities have not yet identified the victim or the suspected shooter.
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