I’m gonna link 3 articles, each several days old, with bits and pieces of information, but when you put it altogether, it’s baffling that this isn’t a huge national news story. The initial story was huge National news as “rich white people draw guns on poor black people”(That was a fricking lie). Anyway, here’s my takeaway:

• If they’re doing this now to fit their narrative & further their ideology, surely this will not be an isolated incident throughout the country.

• How often has it already happened that we don’t know about?

• How frightening is it that the National media hasn’t picked up on this story?

quote:
The handgun brandished by a St. Louis woman at protesters outside her house was not capable of firing, a TV station is reporting. St. Louis station KMOV said it was anonymously sent a lab report concerning the firearms wielded by Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who have been charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns last month at protesters walking past their mansion. The document indicates the handgun, which had been seized by police, could not be test-fired and was found to have been assembled incorrectly, KMOV said. It was then reassembled properly and was declared in charging documents to be “capable of lethal use.”

LINK

quote:
The gun Patricia McCloskey waved at a mob surrounding her home last month was inoperable at the time, but the St. Louis prosecutor’s office ordered the city’s crime lab to re-assemble it into working order after confiscating the firearm, according to a local Missouri TV station reporting Wednesday.

Missouri law requires the government to prove firearms be “readily” capable of fatal harm in order to score a conviction based on the charges filed against McCloskey and her husband this week for their attempt to use legal weapons to deter rioters from their home. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner charged Patricia and her husband Mark McCloskey each with unlawful use of a weapon, a felony that can carry up to four years in prison, for defending their $1.15 million home.

According to 5 On Your Side, Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinckley directed crime lab staff to take apart Patricia’s firearm. They then discovered it was put together incorrectly, making it incapable of operation.

LINK

quote:
A search warrant was executed Friday evening at the Central West End of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, their attorney told News 4.

Joel Schwartz, who is now representing the McCloskeys, would not comment on whether anything was seized from the home. The pair was previously represented by Al Watkins.

According to Watkins, the search warrant was executed because Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner “sought weapons held by Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey during June 28, 2020 in defense of themselves and their home at time of the march.” The attorney said he had been given possession of the couple's hand gun. It was used as an exhibit in court following the incident and that it was not dischargeable.

Watkins said Patricia McCloskey knew the gun was not operable when she pointed it, with her finger on the trigger, at protesters.
"Its the intimidation factor that she could use in the act of self-defense," Watkins said.

The day after the search warrant was executed, Watkins said he gave the gun to authorities after collaborating with the couple and their defense counsel.

"I do know that steps were taken to render it safe and acceptable to use as an exhibit in state and federal court," said Watkins.

LINK