NYT: Portland Homicide Victim Had ‘Patriot Prayer’ Hat

The New York Times reported Saturday night that the victim of a deadly shooting in downtown Portland, Oregon, earlier that evening was wearing a hat associated with “Patriot Prayer,” a right-wing group.

According to journalist Andy Ngô, far-left commenters on social media had initially claimed that the victim was black and that the shooter had been a “fascist.” Though the identity and affiliation of the shooter remain unknown, the victim appears to be a white male.

Antifa are claiming that the deceased person is one of theirs and that the shooter is a fascist. There is no evidence that suggests this right now. I repeat, no evidence at this moment suggests that is true. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/lLyZ8C3JsP

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 30, 2020

(Real) Medics tried to save the shooting victim in downtown Portland. It is a white male contrary to what antifa journalists and accounts said about it being a black victim. pic.twitter.com/jzE2ffqN73

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 30, 2020

The shooting victim in downtown Portland tonight had a side bag with a "blue lives matter" style flag. Many antifa on social media are celebrating his death, even though his ID is not yet known. The shooting suspect is still at-large. pic.twitter.com/1lLxrCl2Uq

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 30, 2020

The Times reported:

It was not immediately clear how the shooting transpired, but two witnesses who asked not to be named said that a small group of people got into an argument with other people in a vehicle and someone opened fire.

The man who was shot and killed was wearing a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in Portland that has clashed with protesters in the past.

The Portland Police Bureau said that officers heard reports of gunfire shortly before 9 p.m. and found a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. It was determined that the victim had died. They did not release any information about a possible shooter.

Earlier in the day, a pro-Trump caravan of vehicles clashed with left-wing activists in downtown Portland.

As the Associated Press reports:

The caravan of Trump supporters had gathered earlier in the day at a nearby mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland. As they arrived in the city, protesters attempted to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.

Videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.

‘There have been some instances of violence between demonstrators and counterdemonstrators,’ Portland Police said via Twitter. ‘Officers have intervened and in some cases made arrests.’

Oregonlive.com noted that this marked the third consecutive weekend in which the groups had clashed.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler refused President Donald Trump’s offer of help Friday.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.