It has been five years since the authorities stole Mark and Patricia’s firearms after a confrontation with Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis, Missouri. The government has finally given back the Mark’s AR-15 rifle, which featured in the incident, which garnered national attention.
In a post on X, Mark McCloskey announced that after a series of lawsuits, he finally got his rifle back. “It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back! We defended our home, were persecuted by the left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down,” he wrote.
It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back! We defended our home, were persecuted by the left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down
— Mark McCloskey (@mccloskeyusa) August 1, 2025
What's missing-Patty and the Bryco (soon) pic.twitter.com/NOEyzyXZWM
Picking up the AR at the police property room@ pic.twitter.com/Jcp16tYhpA
— Mark McCloskey (@mccloskeyusa) August 1, 2025
The battle began in June 2020, when the couple brandished firearms at a group of leftist protesters who marched through their private neighborhoods to protest at the home of then-Mayor Lyda Krewson. The demonstrators were calling on the mayor to resign over her mishandling of police misconduct.
Video footage that went viral on social media showed Mark and Patricia standing on their front lawn with firearms. Mark was carrying a rifle while his wife brandished a pistol.
Prosecutors charged Mark with fourth-degree assault and Patricia with harassment. The charges resulted in fines. The authorities then stole a Colt AR-15 rifle and Bryco .380-caliber pistol as part of the plea deal.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner said at the time, “It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protests.”
However, the protesters had broken through a private gate into a private community and refused to leave when asked. Mark claimed one of the protesters threatened them, saying, “you’re next.”
Missouri’s stand-your-ground and castle doctrine laws protect people’s right to defend their homes. Neither Mark nor Patricia actually fired their weapons. It was clear that the prosecution was politically motivated. They sought to make an example of the couple.
What was ironic about the whole thing is that the McCloskeys actually supported Black Lives Matter before the incident. Like many White progressives, they were conned into believing the national organization was actually trying to help Black people.
In the end, the couple was vindicated when then-Gov. Mike Parson pardoned them. Still, the government refused to return the property it had stolen from them. A judge ruled that the pardon did not nullify the terms of the plea agreement they were forced into. The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in December 2023.
The McCloskeys filed another legal action to expunge the misdemeanor convictions and restore their gun rights in 2024. The Judge granted their request in June of 2024. The ruling was upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals on July 1, 2025, even though prosecutors ridiculously claimed the couple was a public safety threat.
I’m glad the couple is getting their property back. But the fact that they had to go through a lengthy legal process to do so is absurd. The government’s actions are a clear violation of their Second Amendment rights. The entire prosecution was ridiculous on its face — the couple was clearly trying to protect their home.
Would I have done the same in their position? Well, I wouldn’t go out on my front lawn with a rifle. Seems like that would be giving up a tactical advantage if the situation did escalate. But you better believe I would have had my guns at the ready — especially if a crowd of people I didn’t know had busted into my neighborhood. These folks had no idea whether the group posed an actual threat — and they had every reason to be concerned.
This story shows how badly the anti-gunner left wants to prevent people from defending themselves — especially when it might involve a group that shares their political beliefs. This is why we can’t give these people an inch when it comes to the fight for gun rights.