An 18 year old man has been charged with arson in connection with an explosive device thrown at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland during ongoing protests, and reports say his grandmother helped investigators identify him.
Videos circulated this week showing a person throwing a makeshift explosive at the courthouse on Tuesday. According to reports, the suspect, Gabriel, was wearing a green protective vest with “ICON” printed on the front. His grandmother, Karla, told media she recognized the vest because she had bought it for him online.
Karla posted on Twitter that he is her only grandson, that she loves him and that she did not know he would do “such a bad thing.” She added that she had posted about her opposition to the protests and that “he chose his poison.”
The New York Post reported that Gabriel appeared to admit to a “misguided involvement” in the incident but did not confirm he threw the device. The Post also reported that he told his probation officer he wanted to turn himself in. According to reports, he claimed another protester gave him the device and told him it was a strobe firework that would not cause harm or damage.
The New York Post reported that U.S. Marshals arrested him on a felony arson charge, which carries up to five years in prison if he is convicted. He has not been convicted. U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams said in a statement, “No legitimate protest message is advanced by throwing a large explosive device against a government building.” He added that the actions could have seriously hurt officers, nearby protesters or the suspect himself.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
