Portland shooter suspect identified. He's a mess

From the Oregonian: Man under investigation in fatal shooting after pro-Trump rally allegedly took loaded gun to earlier Portland protest.

The man who is held for shooting right-winger Aaron Danielson to death Saturday night is Michael Forest Reinoehl. He’s a 48-year-old vet from outside of Portland, has been going to anti–right wing and BLM demonstrations for a while. He was cited at a demonstration in July for carrying a loaded gun in a public place, a misdemeanor, and no charges were brought.

They interviewed his poor sister, who got the first threatening phone calls before any official notification. He’s been estranged from his family for years, giving their addresses as his to get away from debtors. She said, “we always thought he is a lot of bark, not a lot of bite, but he’s also been very impulsive and irrational.” He also had been charged for reckless driving with his children, under the influence, with drugs and gun in the car.

There’s a lot more about him in this well-researched article.

I don’t know how many there are like him in the current wave of demonstrations. People, mostly men, who latched on to good causes to let off steam: in some cases, such as this, very crazy steam. The right-wing militias have actually courted these types, but we have different standards.

Having the crazies ride along with good-cause demonstrations does not help, other than swell the crowds of demonstrators. Their inbuilt rage dilutes the rage of those demonstrating for a cause. He brought a gun and was looking for a reason to kill someone. He found one, and he did, and here we are.