A protest in St. Louis, Missouri, became incredibly tense over the weekend after a white couple allegedly pointed guns at protesters who were marching to demand the mayor's resignation after she reportedly doxed some activists during a Facebook live briefing on Friday.
In video posted to Twitter, the couple, identified as Patricia and Mark McCloskey, can be seen shouting and pointing a handgun at protesters marching toward the mayor's home in the upscale Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. The video also shows Mark McCloskey standing on the porch of his home, holding a rifle.
The video, which was shared by thousands of people by Monday morning, was also retweeted by President Donald Trump.
The group of around 500 people were heading toward Mayor Lyda Krewson's home, demanding her resignation after the mayor reportedly read the names and addresses of several residents who wrote letters to the mayor suggesting she defund the city's police department during a Facebook live event on Friday. The letters were reportedly considered part of the public record, however, Krewson's actions were criticized by many residents who say the letter writers have been placed in danger.
Krewsom apologized for reportedly 'doxing' the people who sent her letters urging her to defund the police, saying she did not intend to cause any "distress." A spokesperson for Krewson told KMOV the mayor has no plans to resign.
"She's apologized, acknowledges she made a mistake and has absolutely no intention of resigning," the spokesperson said.
In the video, protesters can be heard urging people to ignore the couple and continue marching toward the mayor's house. In an interview with KMOV on Monday, the couple says they were afraid for their lives after the crowd reportedly went through wrought iron gates that were marked with "No Trespassing" and "Private Street" signs.
"A mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought iron gates of Portland Place, destroying them, rushed towards my home where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear of our lives," Mark McCloskey told the outlet.
Further video of the incident shows protesters opening and walking through the gate. It is unclear when it was actually damaged.
"This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. We were told that we would be killed, our home burned and our dog killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob," McCloskey told KMOV.