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[EYEWITNESS REPORT]
Weenie Roast
Inside gun-surrendering criminal Mark McCloskey’s very sad St. Louis rally
Written by DANIEL HILL
Noted local criminal Mark McCloskey played host to a barbecue/political rally on Sunday afternoon, drawing tens of admirers to the sweltering parking lot of a closed outlet mall in St. Louis County to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the time he pulled a gun on a crowd of people who otherwise would never have noticed or cared he existed.
Despite the fact that none of the big names who had been billed to speak at the June 27 event showed up, and despite the fact that ticket sales were so dismal attendance was opened to the public for free at the last minute, St. Louis’ most gun-surrendering lawyer plowed right ahead with the First Annual Pink Shirt Guy BBQ and RINO Roast in the St. Louis Mills parking lot.
Grievance and untethered delusion topped the menu at the event, with McCloskey and a roster of speakers largely unknown outside the fever swamps of the far right taking turns condemning everything from critical race theory (their newest and most nonsensical bogeyman) to “cultural Marxism” (George Soros’ fault of course, but how dare you level accusations of antisemitism) to the “radical left” agenda of (hahahahaha) Joe Biden. The whole gun-and-pony show was in service of McCloskey’s deeply stupid run for U.S. Senate, because if there’s one thing that qualifies a man for public office in the Republican party in 2021 it’s a willingness to point a firearm at those with whom you disagree politically.
Initially, fellow criminal and proponent of armed coups Michael Flynn was scheduled to speak, but he was subbed out for North Carolina Congressman and notably dumb guy Madison Cawthorn, who also did not show up. But the show must go on, as they say, and so we were instead primarily treated to the emcee abilities of former radio host Jamie Allman, who lost his longtime job back in 2018 after taking to Twitter to pontificate about ramming a hot poker up a teenager’s ass.
The event kicked off around 2 p.m. with a pig roast and photo op with the McCloskeys, Mark clad in his pink-shirt finery and Patricia sporting the Hamburglar costume for which she is best known. At least one man brought his rifle for the pair to sign, which of course they did, after which the man could be heard excitedly discussing how much money it was now worth.
After a sound check with local Deep Purple cover band Perfect Strangers, whose singer Terry Luttrell was the original vocalist for REO Speedwagon before parting ways with the band over its earlier, more politically motivated lyrics, the show kicked off with the singing of the national anthem, followed by a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of prayer. With all the hits out of the way, Allman brought up a parade of speakers of varying infamy, one of whom (who can remember who) walked us all through the Declaration of Independence as an encore for good measure.
There was federally charged St. Louis chiropractor Eric Nepute, best-known for recommending Schweppes tonic water as a COVID-19 cure early on in the pandemic; JeffCo gun store owner Ian McFarland, who recently sold McCloskey a new gun when the latter handed his over to the state after pleading guilty to the crime he’d committed; and State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon), one of the legislators leading an effort that failed in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood in the state. Pillow magnate and unhinged lunatic Mike Lindell piped in a prerecorded message of support, as did war criminal Oliver North, probably as a consolation prize since Flynn was presumably too busy plotting out his own future crimes to make an appearance. There were others as well, but this event suffered from the rookie mistake of having too many openers, which led to some noticeable fatigue in the small crowd who had gathered to gawk at the spectacle.
All of the above took turns rattling off the exhausting culture war talking points that dominate right-wing media nowadays, with fevered rants against critical race theory, cancel culture, cultural Marxism and good old-fashioned communism as practiced by noted leftist Joe Biden (hahahahahahaha) being the order of the day. Allman also tossed out bracelets in support of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was killed in the U.S. Capital on January 6 after refusing to comply with the commands of officers, and who Allman claimed was “assassinated by her govern-
Plenty of prime seating was available for Mark McCloskey’s diehard supporters. | REUBEN HEMMER
A celebrity AR-15 joins hands with Mark and Patricia McCloskey. | REUBEN HEMMER
It’s hard to calculate the value of this Mark McCloskey-signed weapon. | REUBEN HEMMER
ment.” That would seem to fly in the face of the usual “if he/she just complied he/she would still be alive” script of the allegedly propolice crowd, but Babbitt was on their team, so naturally the very concept of ideological consistency is thrown right out the window.
At long last, after a gushing introduction in which Allman described Mark and Patricia as “everyone’s favorite neighbors” (a characterization with which their actual neighbors whole-heartedly disagree), McCloskey took to the stage to bask in the adulation of the not even half-full seating area of his adoring fans. He insisted gravely that the crowd of people who were walking past his house that fateful day a year ago would have murdered him and his wife and their dog and then burned their house down had he not waddled his ass outside barefoot to threaten them with a rifle, which is pretty confusing seeing as how literally none of McCloskey’s neighbors did the same and yet they all somehow came out unscathed. It also doesn’t fit with the findings of special prosecutor Richard Callahan, who noted in a statement upon the McCloskeys’ guilty plea that: “The protesters on the other hand were a racially mixed and peaceful group, including women and children, who simply made a wrong turn on their way to protest in front of the mayor’s house,” noting further that absolutely no evidence was ever found to show that any of the protesters were armed or intent on harming the couple.
But that didn’t matter to McCloskey, nor did it matter to the sparse crowd who had come to watch him hump a gun on a Sunday afternoon. Naturally, McCloskey used his speech to heap praise on the likes of Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, Trump’s exchief of staff Mark Meadows and others, while directing scorn at the likes of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush and state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge. That the former group is a bunch of white guys and the latter are Black probably didn’t have anything to do with McCloskey’s opinions of them, and how dare you even think such a thing.
McCloskey ended his speech by bringing his wife up on stage, and the two of them posed with a gun to the cheers of the crowd. One gets the distinct impression that those cheers were more for the gun itself than its owner though, and that more likely than not the crowd would probably prefer to vote for an actual firearm to be senator instead, if only there was some way to get one on the ballot. Honestly Mark is just a mascot, not unlike Ronald McDonald.
As the main event wrapped up, Allman directed everyone to the merch tent, where McCloskey was selling bottles of barbecue sauce for $20 a pop. With the crowd thoroughly cleared out and a storm rolling in, Perfect Strangers took to the stage and started serving up Deep Purple cuts for the enjoyment of about ten people. Lightning cracked in the sky during the classic track “Stormbringer,” adding a fun bit of synchronicity, if also a sense of foreboding.
Equally synchronized and foreboding was one of the lines from the 1974 track, delivered as it was at the McCloskey-led event:
“He’s got nothing you need.”
Here’s hoping Missouri’s voters are smart enough to see it that way too. N
Dr. Fredrick Echols, shown in March 2020, says building trust will help e orts to vaccinate more people. | DOYLE MURPHY
St. Louis Shifting to Smaller Vaccine Clinics
Written by JENNA JONES
Dr. Frederick Echols, director of health for the city of St. Louis, wants to focus on building trust with the community. As the struggle to get as many people as possible vaccinated against COVID-19 continues, he and the city have shifted away from the bigger, mass vaccination clinics in an effort to focus on smaller clinics backed by organizations trusted in the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Smaller community-based clinics give us an opportunity to really work more closely with individuals in the community,” Echols says. “It also gives us an opportunity to have more intimate conversations with individuals regarding vaccine hesitancy and issues related to vaccine access.”
Minority communities are being affected disproportionately by COVID-19, according to both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and St. Louis city data. Flint Fowler, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (2901 North Grand Boulevard, St. Louis), says that’s one of the reasons it’s important for these clinics to happen. He explains that based on the science and the information available, the vaccine is the best way to eliminate or reduce the impact the virus has.
In recent days, the Boys & Girls Clubs held its own clinic in partnership with the City of St. Louis Department of Health. Fowler said last week he was looking forward to the clinic, noting that the partnership between the club and the city would allow residents greater access to the vaccine.
The organization has been part of the community for over 50 years, serving many local children. Fowler calls the access to care that the members need “imperative” and says such clinics help parents who can’t work from home and their kids return to work and school safely.
“There’s a level of trust the community has for what the Boys & Girls Club represents, so we gladly open our doors for better opportunities and information for the residents,” Fowler says.
He and Echols agree that giving residents the information about the COVID-19 vaccine is essential. Fowler urges the community to use its resources when it comes to the department of health.
In order for citizens to make the most informed decision possible, Echols says the city has also started handing attendees of the clinics
VACCINES
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information about the vaccine before they get the shot, giving them an opportunity to ask questions. Fowler also encourages people to remember the department of health is funded by public dollars, meaning they are within their rights to ask questions of the department.
“I think it’s important for the community to know that if they have questions or concerns, they should reach out. I think it becomes a challenge if we don’t seek information out for ourselves, or if we are inactive due to history or past practices,” Fowler says. “In today’s economy or society, it pays for us to do our own research and get information firsthand and make educated decisions. It obviously impacts your overall health and well-being of the community and the region, as well. The virus knows no boundaries.”
Echols is making sure the department of health stays mindful when it comes to the history Fowler mentions. There are a lot of complexities, he explains. Echols also says the city is making sure to use a data-based approach to focus on the ZIP codes that are most critical. Looking back on the history of north St. Louis — an area the city is concerned about due to low vaccination rates — and of health-care delivery to vulnerable populations, Echols wants to make sure the approaches at the clinics are culturally sensitive and appropriate. With a focus on northern St. Louis, where at least 75 percent of residents are unvaccinated in ZIP codes such as 63106 and 63102, according to Echols, building trust is of the utmost importance.
“We’re very sensitive and aware of how we engage individuals in those communities, because we know there’s still a lack of trust that remains,” Echols says. “So, we don’t want to do any additional damage to those communities.”
Fowler knows the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis is a “representative of good,” and with much of his staff having received the COVID-19 vaccine, he says they are more than willing to share their stories with those who have questions about the shots.
And drawing on such conversations at the clinics and other events, Echols and his team are working to dispel misinformation and myths about the COVID-19 vaccines. The discussions have helped fuel a YouTube video series called “Ask Dr. Echols,” which the city began back in August 2020.
SLU Security Guard Kills Man Near Campus
Written by VICTOR STEFANESCU
A36-year-old man, who police say was armed with two guns, was shot dead by a Saint Louis University security guard just off campus early Friday morning.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a shooting call at 12:31 a.m. They found a man near a curb, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 3300 block of Locust Street in Midtown between North Theresa and North Leonard avenues.
EMS transported the man to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police. The man was identified as Omar Zulueta of the 2600 block of Rutger Street, on the border of the Gate and Lafayette Square neighborhoods.
It is unclear what led up to the fatal encounter with the 66-year-old guard or whether Zulueta was carrying the firearms legally. The guard’s name has not been released.
Robert May Hall, a university apartment building housing graduate, law and medical students, is located on the block of the shooting, according to a university webpage. Searls Hall, another university building, also lies on the block.
SLU students, parents, faculty and staff received two texts regarding the shooting from the university’s department of public safety.
The first, sent at 12:54 a.m., warned recipients to avoid the area of the shooting. The text, though, did not specify the location of the area.
“SLU ALERT: A officer involved shooting one subject down DPS/St. Louis City Police/EMS en route Avoid the area until further notice,” the text reads.
The second announced that both SLU’s Department of Public Safety and St. Louis police were at the scene of the incident and that normal activity could resume.
A SLU spokesman did not respond on Friday morning to questions about the shooting but later forwarded a letter written by university President Fred Pestello to students and the university community.
“The enormity of this tragedy cannot be lost on any of us,” Pestello wrote in part. “It is the first time in SLU’s history that someone has been killed by a public safety officer. As members of a Jesuit institution, we recognize that all loss of life presents an enormous tragedy, and impacts all of those involved. We must do everything we can to prevent it from happening in the future.”
The city police homicide division is handling the ongoing investigation into the shooting. Police ask anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the homicide division at 314-444-5371 or, to remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
