‘Some of us choose to speak up following the horrific event’: McCloskey neighbors condemn gun-wielding

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    ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) — The Central West End couple seen on video pointing guns at protesters marching to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home on Sunday were denounced by 38 neighbors.

Residents of Westmoreland Place released a letter Wednesday addressing Sunday’s event when Mark and Patricia McCloskey were seen waving guns at protesters. Westmoreland Place is adjacent to Portland Place where the McCloskeys live.

“We condemn the behavior of anyone who uses threats of violence, especially through the brandishing of firearms, to disrupt peaceful protest, whether it be in this neighborhood or anywhere in the United States,” the letter reads.

The McCloskeys were caught on camera standing outside their home waving a handgun and a semi-automatic rifle at protesters heading over to Krewson’s home, calling for her resignation. The McCloskeys claim they were scared for their lives when the protesters entered the private neighborhood.

“I was a person scared for my life, protecting my wife, my home, my hearth, my livelihood. I was a victim of a mob that came through the gate,” Mark McCloskey told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Tuesday.

The letter ended with a line saying the residents seek positive action and constructive dialogue to maintain a civil society.

A petition is calling for the McClockseys to be disbarred for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The Change.org petition also claims Patricia is part of the Board of Election Commissioners and asks people to contact the organization, but late Monday night the Board of Election Commissioners said the couple is not connected to the organization.

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