Friend of Portland shooting victim Aaron Danielson speaks out: US ‘needs a lot of healing’
Danielson was a 'first-to-buy-you-a-drink kind of guy,' Chandler Pappas said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aaron “Jay” Danielson was fatally shot during rioting in Portland, Ore., last month because he was a supporter of President Trump, his friend Chandler Pappas said Thursday night.
The shooting was simply an act of hatred in a nation that needs to eliminate such acts, Pappas said during an appearance on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“I think this country needs a lot of healing,” he said. “I think everything that's going on downtown for the pawns that are down there destroying the city. I think they're just fueled with hatred.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SUSPECT IN PORTLAND FATAL SHOOTING HAS BEEN KILLED: REPORTS
Pappas was a witness to the shooting and said he tried to save Danielson’s life after his friend was allegedly targeted by Black Lives Matter supporters. Late Thursday, a suspect identified as Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was killed in Lacey, Wash., by federal investigators, according to reports.
Pappas told Tucker Carlson that a MAGA hat, along with any apparel that’s “pro-patriot,” is a “pretty big target” for anyone looking to cause harm to someone who holds conservative views.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier Thursday, news outlet Vice had posted an interview with Reinoehl in which he claimed he “had no choice” but to open fire during a confrontation in Portland on Aug. 29.
Pappas -- whose appearance on Fox News preceded news reports of Reinoehl's death -- said the fact that Reinoehl hadn't been arrested had made him lose hope in Oregon’s justice system.
A man is treated after being shot Saturday in Portland, Ore., before succumbing to his wounds later. (Associated Press)
“I lost confidence in the justice system here a long time ago,” he said. “People are throwing explosive devices at Homeland Security and being let off. ... This is completely one-sided out here. It's corrupt like you see in the movies.”
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Even though Danielson has been described by some in the media as a “white supremacist,” and identified as a supporter of Patriot Prayer, Pappas described him differently.
“Anybody who knew Jay knew him by his smile,” he said. “He was the happiest, like, most compassionate, first-to-buy-you-a-drink kind of guy that you would ever meet. He got along with everybody.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pappas claimed neither he nor Danielson were armed in Portland on the night of Danielson's death.