Gun Returned to St. Louis Couple Who Pointed Weapons at BLM Protesters
Mark McCloskey retrieves rifle after pardon, while legal and political debates over the 2020 incident continue.
ST. LOUIS — Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis personal injury attorney who gained national attention in 2020 for pointing an AR-15 rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters outside his home, has had his firearm returned to him following a pardon by Missouri’s governor.
The weapon was seized as part of McCloskey’s guilty plea to misdemeanor assault charges in 2021, but after Governor Mike Parson pardoned him and his wife, Patricia, the court ordered the rifle’s return. The case, which became a flashpoint in debates over gun rights, self-defense, and racial justice protests, continues to draw strong reactions years later.
Key Background
- In June 2020, the McCloskeys brandished firearms at BLM demonstrators who entered their private neighborhood while marching toward then-Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home.
- The couple claimed they felt threatened, while protesters argued they were peacefully walking through the upscale Central West End area.
- The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanors (Mark to assault, Patricia to harassment) and surrendered their guns as part of the deal.
- Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, pardoned them in 2021, calling the prosecution “a political witch hunt.”
Legal and Political Fallout
The case fueled nationwide debates:
- Gun rights advocates hailed the McCloskeys as defenders of property rights, while critics accused them of reckless intimidation.
- The couple later spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, framing the incident as an example of “law and order” under threat.
- Legal experts note that while the pardon cleared their records, it didn’t erase the broader questions about weaponizing firearms during protests.
What’s Next?
Mark McCloskey, who briefly ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, has said he plans to keep the rifle but did not specify whether he would use it again for self-defense. Meanwhile, St. Louis activists have criticized the gun’s return as a symbol of “privilege and impunity.”
The McCloskeys’ case remains a potent reference in political battles over protest rights, armed self-defense, and racial tensions in America.