Mark McCloskey, St. Louis Attorney Who Waved Gun At BLM Protesters, Running For Missouri Senate

On Tuesday, a St. Louis lawyer who gained notoriety after waving a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters last summer announced Tuesday he would be running for a Senate seat in 2022.

Mark McCloskey announced his Senate bid on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News, according to CBS News. 

“God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob,” McCloskey said on the show. “And it really did wake me up.”

The Federal Election Commission’s website shows McCloskey registered as a candidate for Missouri. The personal injury lawyer will be running for the Republican ticket against two higher-profile names. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is running, and so is former Governor Eric Greitens. Greitens resigned early amid a sex scandal in 2018.

McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, both stood outside their St. Louis mansion on June 28, waving guns at protesters walking by. The couple said they felt threatened by the protesters marching to then-Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home because their house was on a private road that the demonstrators gained access to. The demonstration was part of the nationwide protests that broke out following George Floyd’s death. 

The couple was indicted on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence due to the incident. The trial is scheduled for sometime in November.

The incident gained attention from then-President Donald Trump, who McCloskey campaigned for. He is hoping the former president will return the favor.