On August 29, 2020, Aaron Danielson, an American supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, was shot and killed, allegedly by a far-left activist, after participating in a caravan which drove through Portland, Oregon, displaying banners and signs supporting President Donald Trump, and clashing with participants in the local George Floyd protests.
On September 3, 2020, Danielson's suspected killer, Michael Reinoehl, an American anti-fascist activist was shot and killed by a federally led fugitive task force near Lacey, Washington. Reinoehl had admitted to killing Danielson in an interview shortly before his death, stating it was in self-defense and that he believed Danielson about to stab another protester. Police said Reinoehl had followed and targeted Danielson, who was armed with a pistol, baton, and bear spray, but no knife; Reinoehl said that police were collaborating with far-right activists who were hunting him. Danielson's killing was the first time in over 26 years that a self-identified anti-fascist activist had been charged with homicide. President Donald Trump commended the U.S. Marshals for shooting Reinoehl, describing it as "retribution", and claiming to have personally "sent in" the U.S. Marshals to "get" Reinoehl during the first presidential debate with Joe Biden.
An investigation by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office stated that Reinoehl had most likely initiated an exchange of gunfire with officers before he was killed. However, some witnesses stated that officers opened fire without warning, and a review by The New York Times also disputed the official statement, concluding that local investigators had discounted key pieces of evidence indicating that Reinoehl never fired or pointed a weapon.
Background
In the weeks and months prior to the two killings, Portland was the site of significant protests against police brutality and racism in the United States, as part of the American and international protests that followed the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. These protests saw confrontations between protesters and right-wing counter-protesters. Right-wing counter-protestors were reported to fire paintball guns and release bear spray at protestors, and protestors were reported as releasing fireworks and other objects.
On August 29, 2020, hundreds of Trump supporters took part in the "Trump 2020 Cruise Rally", a caravan of more than 100 cars and trucks displaying pro-Trump flags and signs which drove through downtown Portland. The rally was set up by Meridian-based real-estate developer Alex Kuzmenko, who used an assumed name to organize the activities on Facebook and other social media. Caravan participants and counterprotesters got into heated and sometimes violent confrontations.
Aaron J. Danielson Aaron Joseph Danielson (September 4, 1980 – August 29, 2020) was a resident of Portland. Danielson was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He attended local schools including Shadle Park High School, dropping out during his senior year and then briefly working as a mover in Spokane. Danielson moved to Portland soon after and together with a friend established a moving company which transported heavy items such as safes, hot tubs, stoves and statues. He never married and did not have children.
According to Portland Tribune articles published after his death, Danielson spent much of his free time with a racially mixed group of people in his neighborhood, and black friends spoke up for him. Danielson was characterized by those who knew him as neither a radical, nor a racist or fascist, although he could on occasion be politically provocative and was said to have had a long-standing penchant for conspiracy theories. Like Reinoehl, Danielson was drawn to the protests, heading into downtown Portland on his mountain board and posting videos of them almost every night. According to The Spokesman-Review, there were no reports or publicly released videos of Danielson having been involved in any physical conflicts during the protests, apart from his killing.
Danielson's parents said he blamed antifa for destruction in Portland and was convinced that the group was funded by someone who wanted America destroyed by civil war. Danielson's parents said he had always been a staunch Republican, but that more recently, especially since the start of the protests, they had noticed that his views had shifted, stating: "He started to get more and more concerned about government taking over, the U.N. coming in, China controlling everything. I mean, we started hearing about it. We hadn't heard about it before that." Danielson frequently texted them and sent them videos to watch.
Danielson was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, of which his parents said they were unaware. According to Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson, Danielson had been attending the group's rallies for about three years. Chandler Pappas, a fellow Patriot Prayer supporter who was with Danielson on the night he was killed, reportedly told Danielson's parents that their son's involvement had been limited and begun more recently, around nine months prior. Danielson was known within the group by the alias "Jay" and took part in the Trump 2020 Cruise Rally wearing a Patriot Prayer hat. He had volunteered to provide security for the rally.
Shooting of Danielson
Danielson was shot and killed at about 8:45 p.m. on August 29, 2020, near the intersection of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Alder Street in Portland. Reinoehl was identified as the shooter on social media within hours. A police affidavit requesting a warrant for Reinoehl's arrest, released after his death, included surveillance camera evidence showing that Reinoehl had spotted Danielson and Pappas walking behind him and had hidden in a parking garage to let them pass. When Danielson and Pappas crossed the road, Reinoehl, joined by an associate, followed them while "reaching toward the pocket or pouch on his waistband", with the shooting occurring moments later. Immediately prior to the shooting, someone was heard to shout "We've got a couple right here", followed first by a warning that Danielson was preparing to use a can of mace and then two gunshots. The actual shooting was not recorded by the surveillance camera, but it was captured on videos recorded by bystanders that circulated online.
According to the police affidavit, Danielson had a loaded Glock pistol in a holster and was holding a can of bear spray and an expandable metal baton. Danielson's can of bear spray is believed to have been struck by the first bullet due to damage to the can and a gaseous cloud that erupted after the first shot was fired. The second bullet hit Danielson's upper right chest, killing him.
In an interview with a freelance journalist that was aired by Vice, Reinoehl said he acted in self-defense as Danielson was about to stab another protester with a knife. However, no knife was found on Danielson.
At a memorial held in a park in Vancouver, Washington, Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson urged mourners not to seek vengeance, saying: "I know that Jay would not want that. Jay wants us to stand up for what we believe in, and he does not want any more violence, guys." Danielson's father, speaking to a reporter at home in Spokane County, expressed a wish for Democrats to "get together with the Republican side and put a stop to this violence. If I can lose the life of my son, they can sit down at a table and be civil to each other and start to work something out. I deserve that as a citizen."
Michael F. Reinoehl Michael Forest Reinoehl (May 17, 1972 – September 3, 2020) lived in Clackamas, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, Oregon, and had two children. Reinoehl had described himself as an anti-fascist activist as well as a professional snowboarder and an Army veteran, although an Army spokesperson said there were no records indicating Reinoehl had served in the Army. When his snowboarding career waned, Reinoehl had worked as a construction contractor.
Reinoehl had been estranged from his family in recent years and was reported to have been supporting himself through odd jobs carried out for friends. A snowboarding friend said that Reinoehl had been known for daredevil snowboard stunts in his youth, but that he had been struggling in recent years and had gone through a difficult divorce. Reinoehl's sister described him as "not very stable" to The New York Times and said that his involvement in the Portland protests "made him feel like his existence meant something again."
Reinoehl's social media accounts showed that he had been heavily involved in the protests for three months, helping to provide security. A protest leader said Reinoehl had been trained in de-escalation and was "excellent at that". Another local organizer described Reinoehl as a "guardian angel" for protesters. A protester who had become friends with Reinoehl said: "Nightly, he would break up fights." Reinoehl's social media posts, which had previously been about scenes of snowboarding, nature, and his children, focused "almost exclusively" on the protests in Portland from May 30 onward.
Reinoehl was wanted for failing to appear in court for a June 2020 speed racing case. According to state police, he had raced his 17-year-old son on Interstate 84 at up to 111 mph, with his 11-year-old daughter as a passenger in his car. The car also contained marijuana, pills, and a loaded Glock pistol, for which Reinoehl did not have a license. Reinoehl was arrested for driving under the influence, reckless endangerment of a person and unlawful possession of a firearm. Reinoehl was arrested again in Portland on July 5 for having a loaded gun in public. According to NPR, citing information given by the district attorney's office spokesman, that case was still an ongoing investigation at the time of his death. According to The Oregonian, "the allegations were dropped on July 30 with a 'no complaint,' according to court records. The documents don't indicate why prosecutors decided not to pursue the accusations. Reinoehl spent no time behind bars." Reinoehl was shot and wounded in Portland on July 26 after he intervened in an altercation where one of the participants was armed. On August 7, according to police investigators, Reinoehl sent a text message to his teenage son saying, "Sell me the gun for a quarter pound of weed and $100 I'm getting tired of this shit I need a piece now." Reinoehl was set to be evicted on August 29 after his landlord "apparently noticed six or seven high schoolers smoking marijuana in Reinoehl's apartment." Reinoehl later texted his landlord saying he didn't "have anywhere to go and that the Proud Boys were trying to shoot him." On August 29 "Reinoehl told Yoder that the potential of having the Sheriff's Office evict him was triggering his PTSD. The next night, Aug. 30, police again responded to the house after the other tenants reported it being shot at sometime before 1 p.m."