Authorities in Portland, Oregon, identified the man who allegedly shot and killed a female protester and wounded four others during a racially motivated protest on Saturday following the murder of Amir Locke by a Minneapolis police officer earlier this month. .
The suspect was identified as Benjamin Jeffrey Smith, of 43 years old, from Northeast Portland, while the deceased woman was reported as Brandy Knightly, from 60 years, according to a statement sent by the Portland police.
Kristine Christenson, roommate of suspect, she told Oregon Public Broadcasting that Smith had told her that she had wanted to take violent action for a long time.
“He talked about wanting to do this for a while. I was angry about the mask mandates, I was angry at the ‘fucking liberals,'” Christenson noted.
Added Smith’s roommate who did not feel safe living with him for some time.
“When I first moved in, he seemed fine“Christenson pointed out, adding that Smith initially let her live with him for free. “Actually, he wasn’t that bad of a man.”
Christenson pointed out to the Oregon Public that Smith got angrier during the last years of the Obama Administration, and then it got worse amid the pandemic.
“As the years went by, he became more and more radicalized ”, he pointed. “He got madder and madder.. I didn’t feel safe with him, especially in the last two years with the whole COVID thing-19. I think that made him even angrier.”
Smith often got angry in the presence of Black Lives Matter protesters and other protesters in Portland, the New York Post reported.
Smith, who allegedly shot Knightly with a .caliber pistol.43 , was injured in the lower abdomen and intestine after a man shot him with a rifle in response to his alleged assault, remaining hospitalized and in serious condition.
The man who The man who shot Smith was initially arrested, but was later released when a witness turned over a video to authorities, The Oregonian reported.
Meanwhile, victim Knightly was volunteering for a crew traffic for the protest that was taking place.
Clarify the facts h It has been a challenge for the authorities, since they denounced that the majority of protesters did not collaborate with them and left the place.
“The scene was extremely chaotic and several witnesses did not cooperate with the officers who They responded,” police said. “Most of the people at the scene left without talking to the police.”
It is speculated that several people at the protest recorded the shooting while during the violent moments, for which the Portland police asked citizens to contact the authorities at (503) 823-3774.