Gun-waving St. Louis couple buy new gun days after entering guilty plea
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) — Days after entering a guilty plea and having their weapons taken away, a St. Louis couple who gained notoriety for pointing guns at social justice demonstrators last year have a new assault rifle.
Mark McCloskey, who bought the gun, posted pictures on Twitter on Saturday with his wife, Patricia.
“Checking out my new AR!” he posted.
The McCloskeys, who were seen waving guns at protesters who were walking by their Central West End home in June 2020, pleaded guilty Thursday to related charges.
Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor, while Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment. Mark McCloskey wanted his rifle to be disabled and donated to charity, but that is not expected to happen.
The couple was sentenced to pay the maximum fines: $750 for Mark McCloskey, $2,000 for Patricia McCloskey. The weapons they brandished will be destroyed as a condition of their pleas.
A grand jury indicted the couple last year on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering.
Demonstrators were marching to the home of then-Mayor Lyda Krewson on June 28 last year amid nationwide protests after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis. The protesters ventured onto a private street that includes the McCloskey residence.
Mark McCloskey said last month that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2022 amid Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt’s impending retirement.