No arrests following fatal shooting of Patriot Prayer supporter in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — No one has been charged following the fatal shooting of a member of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group in Portland, Oregon.

The circumstances of Saturday night’s shooting in Portland remain unclear, according to The Associated Press. Video from the city shows sporadic fighting between the groups, with Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counterprotesters threw things at the Trump caravan.

The man killed was a member of a group that has frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past, its founder, Joey Gibson, said Sunday. He identified the victim as Aaron “Jay” Danielson and called him a “good friend,” but provided no details. Danielson apparently also went by the name Jay Bishop, according to Patriot Prayer’s Facebook page.

Trump retweeted the victim’s name and wrote, “Rest in peace Jay!”

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler held a news conference following the shooting, blaming Trump for the tensions.

“Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence?” he asked at a televised news conference. “It’s you who have created the hate and the division.”

Police have released little information and Chief Chuck Lovell said Sunday that investigators are still gathering evidence, including surveillance video from area businesses. Earlier Sunday, the agency released a plea for any information related to the killing, including videos, photos or eyewitness accounts.

Patriot Prayer is based in Washington state and was founded in 2016. Since early 2017, its supporters have been periodically coming to Portland to hold rallies for Trump, ratcheting up tensions in the liberal city long before the national outrage over Floyd’s death sparked more than three months of protests in Portland.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Cox Media Group