Supporters of President Donald Trump said that shots were fired at them from a vehicle as they were waving flags during a public political demonstration.
The incident unfolded Monday evening in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
The Fort Mill Police Department said in a statement posted to its Facebook page that the officers were called to the demonstration at about 6:50 p.m.
Demonstrators told them that three men in a vehicle drove by their group several times and yelled obscenities at them. They claimed that the driver of the vehicle extended his hand out with what appeared to be a gun and they heard gunshots ring out.
“All of a sudden you know bang bang bang bang bang bang bang,” Matthew Ostrowski said to WBTV.
“It was ridiculous. There were kids everywhere,” he added. “They drove by really slow and saw everybody, so they knew exactly who was there.”
Later a highway patrol officer found the vehicle abandoned nearby. Police stopped a second car driving in the vicinity of the first car when the trooper noticed one of the riders wore clothing that matched the description they were given by witnesses.
Police say two of the men in the second car were released after an investigation, but a third, 23-year-old Marquise Damarius Asomani from Charlotte, was arrested.
They charged him with six counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, one count of unlawful carrying of a pistol, one count of pointing and presenting firearms at a person, and one count of possession of a firearm during a violent crime.
He was placed under a $75,000 bond and held at the York County Detention Center.
‘This energizes me more’
Ostrowski said that the incident didn’t intimidate him and the others in the group, instead they drew strength and inspiration from the alleged attack.
“If anything this energizes me more and after this incident,” he said. “It’s done the same for many many people.”
But others, like Lindsey Portugal, said that the alarming incident was discouraging.
“I think it’s sad honestly that we’re showing support for the president and you have to be nervous about somebody coming and doing this,” she said. “I mean that’s just discouraging.”
*story by The Blaze