An armed man carrying a loaded pistol presenting himself as a federal law enforcement officer appeared at a side entrance to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, where Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was soon to give a speech for Hispanic Heritage Month.
The man claimed to be part of Kennedy’s security team and told RFK, Jr.’s actual protectors with urgency that he needed to be taken to the candidate immediately. Observing that the man had a handgun, Kennedy’s security team removed the man from the area, isolated, and surrounded him, and notified LAPD. Nobody was harmed in the incident.
LAPD also took custody of a second man, who came to the campaign event with the primary suspect. Protectors observed that the man seeking access to the event had a backpack, found to contain at least one other handgun, multiple knives, and extra ammunition.
The security imposter, who was wearing sunglasses, appeared to have laid his plans in advance, as he was carrying what appeared to be a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. The Kennedy campaign is seeking additional information from law enforcement authorities.
“I’m very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail. Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I’m also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response. I’m still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection,” said Kennedy.
