Portland police on Monday officially identified the man killed over the weekend after a pro-Trump rally in the Oregon city as Aaron J. Danielson, and declared his death a homicide.
Members of the Patriot Prayer organization, a right-wing outfit, said Mr. Danielson, 39, was one of them, and said he was “executed” by Black Lives Matter and antifa activists.
Police have not revealed any information on suspects, and issued a new plea Monday for information on what happened.
BLM and anti-police protesters have engaged in mayhem in Portland nearly every night since the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man, at the hands of a White police officer in May.
The last two weekend pro-Trump supporters have staged their own rallies. This Saturday’s even was a car caravan with hundreds of vehicles.
The caravan sparked clashes between the Trump supporters and the BLM activists.
After most of the caravan had left downtown, police reported hearing shots fired and discovering Mr. Danielson’s body.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, in statement late Sunday, praised racial justice protesters and blamed right-wing activists for inflaming tensions. But she adopted the suggestions of the right, saying she would surge more police to calm things, and would pressure the district attorney to pursue cases against those accused of serious offenses.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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