Denver shooting – Military veteran Lee Keltner was ‘shot dead in front of his son at Antifa rally’
THE right-wing protester allegedly killed by a security guard during clashes with Antifa was shot dead in the head in front of his son.
Military veteran and grandad Lee Keltner was shot after macing the guard for the 9NEWS TV crew on Saturday during dueling rallies in Denver.
The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff, with the Denver Police Department saying he's being investigated for first degree murder.
A Facebook page with Dolloff's full name and a photo that appears to match his mugshot shows that he worked on a ranch raising sheeps and dogs, the reported.
Court records obtained by the newspaper show he had no previous criminal history aside from traffic tickets.
Moments later, Dolloff then shot the man, according to the photos.
Carol Keltner, who identified herself as the victim's mother, shared the update in a Facebook group called Northeast Arkansas Tea Party Group.
"After the rally a person on the and side went up to him said a few nasty words then shot him in the head. He was murdered because he backed the police," she continued.
Keltner, talking about his business in a 2012 video said he was "keeping the West alive, one hat at a time."
A man wearing a "Black Guns Matter" shirt urges a tattooed man wearing a camouflage bucket hat to mace him.
"Mace me, f**kin' mace me brother!" the man yells. "Walk up to me and f***ing mace me n****, mace me mother f****r!"
A woman can be heard in the background asking the man why he's using a racial slur as he continues to shout at the counter-protester.
The bucket hat man clutches what appears to be a can of mace as the two continue to exchange obscenities.
"F**k around and find out!" the man with the Black Guns Matter shirt screams before turning his attention to another man holding a baton.
Moments later, the victim is seen dropping to the floor behind the arguing men after the hiss of an aerosol can and a loud bang.
Two guns were recovered at the scene, and the suspect in custody is being held at police headquarters, DPD said.
A canister of Mace was also recovered at the scene, and detectives are still probing whether it was used in the attack, the police chief said.
The security guard still had his handgun in his clutches, and as cops swarmed him with their guns pointed, he dropped to his knees, raised his hands above his head and released his weapon.
He was arrested at the scene along with the second person, who was later believed to have no connection to the shooting.
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Local businesses were warned of the potential for escalating violence early Saturday and were told to report seeing protesters wearing helmets, shields, or gas masks ahead of the rallies, KMGH reported.