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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 16 Januari 2021

White Army vet charged in shooting Black girl at Trump rally

(AP) — A white military ter a five-year military ca-
veteran shot and wounded reer, faces 25 years in prison
a 15-year-old girl when if convicted. McKinney re-
he fired his gun into a car mains jailed after a judge last
carrying four Black teen- month rejected his request to
agers during a tense con- reduce a $500,000 bond.
frontation at a Trump ral-
ly near the Iowa Capitol Danielle Gross, the teen
last month. driver’s mother, said her
daughter was so traumatized
Michael McKinney, 25, is by the shooting that injured
charged with attempted mur- her cousin that she didn't
der in the Dec. 6 shooting in leave the house for a week
Des Moines. McKinney, who afterward. She said the girls
was heavily armed and wear- made an ill-advised decision
ing body armor, told police he to confront rallygoers and
fired the shot in self-defense. that the situation escalated
A resident of tiny St. Charles, quickly.
Iowa, McKinney has posted
on Facebook in support of “They were saying some rac-
the far-right Proud Boys and crowd. AP he was glad that McK- Balducci, said the Jan. 6 mob ist slurs and the girls argued
against Black Lives Matter. inney shot into the car and attack at the U.S. Capitol that with them and it went from
The girls’ car ended up sur- scared the girls away, saying included many ex-military there,” Gross said, adding
In a news release detailing rounded by Trump support- he worried that they might members won't help his cli- that she hasn’t heard from
McKinney’s arrest, the state ers who were yelling and be armed. ent's case, because the public the police since the day of the
police described an after- honking horns before the will draw comparisons. shooting and that she fears
noon shooting at a parking driver went in reverse and “I felt relieved,” said Brekke, for her family’s safety.
lot and didn't mention the struck a pickup. It’s unclear whose truck was scratched in But he argued that the “po-
Trump car rally or the race of whether the collision was ac- the collision. litical factors are extraneous” Authorities declined com-
those involved. A city police cidental. McKinney told po- and that McKinney’s actions ment on whether the shoot-
spokesman said initial re- lice he fired at that point to Brekke said the girls had should be viewed as self- ing might have been moti-
ports indicated the shooting protect himself. been yelling anti-Trump epi- defense. The teenage driver vated by race. Polk County
was traffic-related. Division thets at him and others as may have been using the ve- Attorney John Sarcone noted
of Criminal Investigation An investigator says in court the rally progressed through hicle as a weapon instead of that the attempted mur-
spokesman Mitch Mortvedt documents that McKinney the heavily Democratic city. merely trying to flee the an- der charge against McKin-
said the agency released the does not appear to be among He said their vehicle drove gry crowd, he said. ney carries far more prison
immediate facts and circum- those rallygoers who ex- wildly, veering in and out of time than a state hate crime
stances as required. changed words with the girls the caravan, and followed it Balducci said McKinney charge, with a maximum of
before the shooting. Bystand- to the parking lot where the wore body armor because he five years.
But a review by The Associ- er video obtained by police route concluded. had been threatened during
ated Press shows the shoot- shows McKinney approach- previous Trump rallies, and After the shooting, McKin-
ing was sparked by a belliger- ing the vehicle, pulling a Fans of the president, who that he feared for his safety ney apparently tried to cover
ent political clash between a handgun from his waistband were gathering to support when the car reversed. his tracks, putting the spent
large group of white Trump and firing into the car from his attempts to subvert the shell casing in the trunk of
supporters and four unarmed 15 feet (4.5 meters) away, ac- November election, initially Trump supporters have his car and not initially com-
Black girls all aged 16 and cording to court documents. “were having fun” taunting blasted authorities for charg- ing forward as the shooter,
under. the girls, Brekke said. ing McKinney, arguing that court records show.
The bullet hit the leg of a Brekke, a retired airport se- his shot protected rallygo-
The teen driver’s mother said girl who had been arguing curity worker, said he asked ers. They include an Iowa After others identified him,
the girls argued with Trump with members of the crowd whether they were on wel- Department of Public Safety he admitted his role and sur-
supporters about politics and through the vehicle's sun- fare and unemployed. He employee who organized the rendered his pistol. Police say
were subjected to racial slurs. roof. The car sped off to take said they called him a white event and has fundraised for he was carrying two loaded
Rallygoers blamed the teens her to a hospital. supremacist and threatened McKinney’s defense. magazines in his pants and
for starting the confronta- him and his wife. had another firearm in his
tion, saying they were ha- The 73-year-old owner of the McKinney, who left the Iowa vehicle, which was outfitted
rassing and threatening the pickup, Bob Brekke Jr., told McKinney's attorney, Kent National Guard in 2017 af- with Trump decals.

Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden's inauguration

(AP) — President Donald formally announced. Offi- Biden’s presidency. Vice
Trump will leave Wash- cials are considering an elab- President Mike Pence will at-
ington next Wednesday orate event that would have tend in his place.
morning, just before Pres- the feel of a state visit, with a
ident-elect Joe Biden’s in- red carpet, color guard, mili- Trump will leave Washington
auguration, to begin his tary band and 21-gun salute two weeks after he incited a
post-presidential life in all being discussed. violent insurrection, with his
Florida. supporters storming the Cap-
Trump had already an- itol building in an attempt to
He will be sent off with a nounced that he would not halt the peaceful transition of
departure ceremony at Joint be attending Biden’s inaugu- power.
Base Andrews, according to ration — an historical break
a person familiar with the with tradition — after spend- Trump is expected to remain
planning who spoke on con- ing months making baseless in Florida with a small group
dition of anonymity because allegations of voter fraud in of aides as he mulls his fu-
Trump's plans have not been an attempt to delegitimize ture.