Marine gets death threats after confronting Texas assault rifle activists on public street
A Marine veteran in Texas was forced to change his phone number and is now carrying a gun with him at all times after a confrontation with members of a gun-rights group on a public street led to Internet death threats.
James Henry told KDFW that he had decided to film members of Open Carry Tarrant County protesting with assault-style rifles for his production company over the Memorial Day weekend. Henry said that things got heated, and the men eventually followed him back to his vehicle.
"I got aggravated and I did get a bit snarky," he recalled.
After the confrontation, the activist posted a video to YouTube of Henry returning to his SUV, which had his company name and phone number printed on the side. Soon after that, he started receiving harassing phone calls.
"One said you're going to wish you had a gun boy when I fill you with holes," he said.
Open Carry Tarrant County spokesperson Kory Watkins, however, insisted to KDFW that the group had filmed Henry for their own protection. He said that women and children were participating in the firearms rally, and the group felt threatened.
But in the end, it was Henry who was forced to change his phone number. He has also started carrying his pistol for protection.
"I'm being used on this one side as a proponent for gun control which I don't agree with and also being used as a proponent that I'm some crazy left wing guy, which I'm not," he remarked, adding that the group was "not being ambassadors for responsible gun owners to support gun rights."
Over the weekend, the National Rifle Association (NRA) released a statement saying that so-called "Open Carry" groups in Texas were "downright scary," and had "crossed the line."
Watch the video below from KDFW, broadcast June 2, 2014.