Libertarian Gun Owner Shot Dead by Police While Sleeping

Last Thursday, Montgomery County police conducted a no-knock SWAT raid, at 4.30 am, on the home (his parents' home in fact) of one Duncan Lemp, a 21 year old software developer and member of the III% militia. He had recently joined the MyMilitia.com website (where I am on the staff). He was not some sort of 'anti-government extremist' -- he seems to have been a typical young Libertarian type, but with an interest in firearms. The police say he was forbidden to own them, and a neighbor tipped them off that he had them. We have yet to get the full story on this -- they say he 'confronted' them, the family says he was asleep in bed (with his girlfriend, who was also wounded) when he was killed.

If this is true, even half-true, it is a real atrocity, and we should raise holy hell about it, insofar as we can during this crisis.

Daniel Oliver, a friend of Duncan's, is raising money for the family to cover funeral and
legal expenses. Donations may be made here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-duncan-lemp

This video has more information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQE0E62G9Y

This article is pretty good:
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/did-maryland-police-shoot-and-k...

Breaking news on this case and news of a coordinated response here:
https://www.mymilitia.com/forums/topic/65443-member-duncan-lemp-murdered/

Note the the militia movement has been smeared as 'anti-governmetn extremists' by vile
organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center. This outfit, despite losing lawsuits
against victims it dishonestly characterized as hate groups, and a scandal that saw the
ouster of its founder -- for racism and sexism! -- many in Law Enforcement still take this
group as an authority.

It is possible that they now have Duncan's blood on their hands.

Awaiting more info. Meanwhile, thanks for posting this, Doug.

My guess is, he did something teenage-stupid and got banned from owning firearms until he was 30. He foolishly ignored the ban, even openly joined a scary-sounding militia (the III%ers), and signed up to a militia-coordinating website (where I'm on the staff). The police say an anonymous tip three months earlier was the trigger ... who knows?

So ... he's sound asleep at 4.30 am ... hears noises off ... his girlfriend is sleeping next to him and he has one of his scary assault rifles next to the bed, guaranteed to impress the ladies, at least a lot of young men think so ... he picks it up and staggers to the window and ... bang bang bang.

The police say he had a 'booby trap' on his bedroom door -- a shotgun shell .... hmm... in Mom and Dad's house? Pretty reckless if so but ... hey ... where did I hear this ... oh yes, Pitt the Elder ... "The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the crown. It may be frail - its roof may shake - the wind may blow through it - the storm may enter - the rain may enter - but the King of England cannot enter." so it's HIS F*******G HOUSE!!!

You'd think the pro2A people on the Left would at least express some tepid statement of solidarity ... I've contacted every single local chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association, and of Redneck Revolt plus their national leaderships ... but not a peep. Pussies.

So ... I fear this Chinese Communist Virus will drown everything else out for claims on our attention, but ... we ought to be raising Holy Hell over this.

And at the same time, combatting the crazies and hot-air merchants on the Right who are anti-police per se ... silly boobs need to go to school with Mr Hobbes -- I've been debating some of these bs artists on Facebook -- look up 'boogaloo' on the web, and 'boohajadeen' on Facebook... they're Righties but sound like anti-Fa (and some are probably Internet Research Agency employees working out of St Petersburg) ... I've expressed the wish that all the hate-the-cops kiddies could be dropped into South Chicago at 11pm on a Saturday night. Makes me recall on old John Birch Society bumper sticker, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE POLICE, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, CALL A HIPPIE.

Ah well ... we knew the Republic, contrary to that poem, would not go out with just a whimper.

There has to be more to this story. It isn't easy to get a no-knock, pre-dawn, search warrant. I also have to wonder about his juvenile record, and why he was prohibited from possessing a firearm until he was 30. I'd like to read the affidavit that supported the warrant.

The booby trap is deeply troubling, and indicates reckless disregard for the lives of others. Many years ago I talked with a guy who booby-trapped his house with tripwired shotguns. At the time, he was still recuperating in ICU after forgetting about one. He had no good answer when I asked what he thought would have happened if his house had caught fire. Half of his leg blown off was better than killing a firefighter crawling through a burning home to save him.

Yes, you're right. I have never believed the rather naive story of his family and lawyer, that he was simply shot to death while asleep, Fred Hampton style.

However, everything I have read or heard about him, doesn't support the image of a crazy. The shotgun booby trap is definitely irresponsible -- but when I look back to my own youth -- and when I think about my own experiences with neighbor's teenage sons whom I taught to shoot (using air rifles0, and a friend's teen age soon to whom I unwisely leant an air pistol -- I remember that we must never trust anyone under 30.

The key question is: was it necessary to do a 4.30 no-knock raid on this young man? It will take a lot to convince me of that.

I've been fairly involved, via the internet, in building for the 20 January Richmond demonstration, and I KNOW that the milieu of what we may call pro 2nd Amendment people, has a high proportion of people who are completely unrestrained in their postings on line: they call for arresting legislators who are pro gun control and trying them for treason, etc etc. I am sure that 99% of the time it's just hot air, probably by people with manhood issues. But of course, there is always the occasional Timothy McVeigh.

So I and a few other people have tried to throw cold water on these bs artists, and have defended the police as a necessary evil in our society -- "if men were angels ..." etc.

Anyway, I am sure that a better way could have been found to deal with this kid -- what about searching his house while he was at work?

Bottom line: I don't want to give the police a blank check here.