Who is the mystery man with four pistols pictured all over the web?

 By Hal Brown

This photo was posted on the Duty to Warn Facebook page:

Click above to enlarge

Update: A poster on Mastodon found what may be the first post of this photo here. It is titled "Larry Croft spotted at a Subway in Marion, Iowa." I don't know who this Larry Croft is supposed to be. A search of his name isn't helpful. There is one Larry Croft listed as living in Iowa with previous addresses in Texas.

It could be this real person or this one. This post was viewed over 95,931 times since it was posted in 2020.. It led to 979 comments.

This Reddit post suggests the store is in Marion, Iowa. Note it was posted 14 days ago showing that a photo posted in 2020 has once again become controversial. 

Original blog story:

I did a Google Image search to see where this originated and learn more about it. It has been on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook and a couple of websites. I can't determine who took it and who the person might be.  Whoever took the photo deserves some kudos because this guy might not have appreciated being photographed.

Above is from Google Lens, a part of Google Images, click here to see how it works.

He isn't a cop because he's not wearing a duty belt which would have a radio, handcuffs, a taser, flashlight, collapsible baton, pepper spray, and bullet magazines.

Even a security officer would have more accessories on the back of his belt.

I would find it interesting to interview him to end the speculation about his reasons for carrying four pistols. From the four magazine clips visible he has at least between 80 and 84 bullets on his person.

He has to know people will be looking at him. Is he trying to get liberals to react? Does he really feel he needs these weapons to protect himself? Perhaps he has fantasies of being Rambo.

I live in Oregon where open carry is legal. I have only once seen a civilian carrying a firearm. He had a pistol in a holster on his belt. I This was in the grocery shop checkout line so I waited and followed him out. He got into a pickup truck with a big Confederate flag on the back.

If anybody can track down the identity of the person who originally posted this photo it might help solve part of the mystery. I doubt we'll ever know who is in the photo. 

Because this post is on a closed Facebook page I won't add the comments to this photo. It led to some excellent ones, some serious and others snarky.

There were at last count 29 comments including several of mine. Hopefully those who posted them will give me permission to add them to this blog.

Comments:

From the Duty to Warn Facebook page

I'm trying to figure our a few practical matters.

He has at least 4 pistols. Unless he has simian powers (ability to use his feet like hands for firing pistol 3 and 4), what is he going to use to control 4 pistols ?

Unless he is in habit of dropping his pistols and loosing them, he would be much better to have multiple clips. (the extra pistols do him no good). But them is the question, how many rounds will fit in each of the clips he is carrying (and what about the understandable fear of extended clips ?)

Say the cops were called to the Sandwich Shop. Wouldn't his appearance make him an instant target to the cops ?

...  how very fearful this man must be in his life that he has to gear up like this. How sad for him. My thoughts were that he must have real problems with his own masculinity. In short, I called him a "pussy" with no disrespect to pussies.

Tribel website Comments:

Y.M.C.A. (on Tribel)

He must really be a eunuch to need four guns.

There is someone out there that recognized that ass, a man or a woman. :D And chances are they are 1.Just like him, or 2. too embarrassed to admit they know him. :D 

He's in a Subway. 

Bottom compensating.

Addendum: 

I was an auxiliary police officer for over 20 years in two cities. In those days we carried a revolver and six or twelve extra bullets. Here with one of our cats I am on the balcony at home with our cranberry bogs in the background.

Text only version: The Higher Power: Would Pence appeal to his higher angels and betray Trump?

By Hal Brown

Click here to see images used on blog:

View blog with pictures.

Read this: Pence testimony will hold key to proving Trump conspiracy charges: legal expert

Of all the people who were Trump sycophants none have the ability to reveal information which could lead to Trump being indicted, tried, and convicted of felonies which could result in him being incarcerated than his former vice president. 

The worst crime Trump committed was his treason involving the January 6th insurrection. It may be the most difficult to convict him of this, but it is far more serious than the Mar-a-Lago documents case or New York and Georgia state crimes.

Of all of the people who can testify under oath, swearing to God, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, Mike Pence is probably the least likely to lie to protect Trump for religious reasons.

His religious beliefs may be mocked by cynics who say he put aside Christian values as he turned a blind eye to both Trump's history and his inhumane policies. We all seen photos like these (link) showing Pence gazing at Trump with a worshipful expression.

What mental gymnastics he engaged in to ponder what Christ would think about Trump may never be known. 

We know from survey data that a significant minority of Trump supporters believe he was anointed by God.

As a psychodynamically oriented therapist I can see how he would have related to Trump as a father figure because of some inner need. I know it seems impossible, unfathomable if you will, that anybody saw Trump this way but many people did and still do.

In retrospect he may have had a revelation, even a visitation from an angel who absolved him. It could have been Archangel Michael holding the Scales of Justice. He is known as the angel who will weigh souls on Judgment Day.

Pence may be saying the Prayer to Saint Michael § In the Leonine Prayers

Blessed Michael, archangel,
defend us in the hour of conflict.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil
(may God restrain him, we humbly pray):
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust Satan down to hell
and with him those other wicked spirits
who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen

Pence may now believe he was under the influence of Satan. This would be consistent with believing that Trump himself was an agent of Satan who literally bedeviled him. 

All of this would accrue to the advantage of justice being served. 

As an atheist I respect people who live their religious beliefs and values and don't bend, twist, and distort the religious teachings, for example in the Bible and Koran, to justify intolerance and cruelty. No-one needs to believe in God to live by the simple saying "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" otherwise known as The Golden Rule. (Perhaps ironically the GOP's favorite amendment to the Constitution is the second and The "Golden Rule" was proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth during his Sermon on the Mount and described by him as the second great commandment. Wikipedia)

I think there are signs that Mike Pence already has, or is in the process, of redeeming himself. That I don't believe in God doesn't mean I won't honor him for returning to his personal God.

I may even say God bless Mike Pence....

The Higher Power: Would Pence appeal to his higher angels and betray Trump?

By Hal Brown

Background, Angel of Light (1960) Salvadore Dali

Text only version here.

Read: 

Pence testimony will hold key to proving Trump conspiracy charges: legal expert

Of all the people who were Trump sycophants none have the ability to reveal information which could lead to Trump being indicted, tried, and convicted of felonies which could result in him being incarcerated than his former vice president. 

The worst crime Trump committed was his treason involving the January 6th insurrection. It may be the most difficult to convict him of this, but it is far more serious than the Mar-a-Lago documents case or New York and Georgia state crimes.

Of all of the people who can testify under oath, swearing to God, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, Mike Pence is probably the least likely to lie to protect Trump for religious reasons.

His religious beliefs may be mocked by cynics who say he put aside Christian values as he turned a blind eye to both Trump's history and his inhumane policies. We all seen photos like these (link) showing Pence gazing at Trump with a worshipful expression.

What mental gymnastics he engaged in to ponder what Christ would think about Trump may never be known. 

We know from survey data that a significant minority of Trump supporters believe he was anointed by God.

As a psychodynamically oriented therapist I can see how he would have related to Trump as a father figure because of some inner need. I know it seems impossible, unfathomable if you will, that anybody saw Trump this way but many people did and still do.

In retrospect he may have had a revelation, even a visitation from an angel who absolved him. It could have been Archangel Michael holding the Scales of Justice. He is known as the angel who will weigh souls on Judgment Day.

Painting by Rogier van der Weyden

Pence may be saying the Prayer to Saint Michael § In the Leonine Prayers

Blessed Michael, archangel,
defend us in the hour of conflict.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil
(may God restrain him, we humbly pray):
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust Satan down to hell
and with him those other wicked spirits
who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen

Pence may now believe he was under the influence of Satan. This would be consistent with believing that Trump himself was an agent of Satan who literally bedeviled him. 

All of this would accrue to the advantage of justice being served. 

As an atheist I respect people who live their religious beliefs and values and don't bend, twist, and distort the religious teachings, for example in the Bible and Koran, to justify intolerance and cruelty. No-one needs to believe in God to live by the simple saying "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" otherwise known as The Golden Rule. (Perhaps ironically the GOP's favorite amendment to the Constitution is the second and The "Golden Rule" was proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth during his Sermon on the Mount and described by him as the second great commandment. Wikipedia)

I think there are signs that Mike Pence already has, or is in the process, of redeeming himself. That I don't believe in God doesn't mean I won't honor him for returning to his personal God.

I may even say God bless Mike Pence....