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The man, later identified as Richard Kevin Blandy, 56 of South Lebanon Township, fled from the scene just before 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, according to the PCP's statement.
The police chased after the man's vehicle on foot, but were not able to immediately capture him as he "fled the area committing several traffic violations," the PCP said.
The rally was mostly attended by families. The organizers clearly denounced Hamas, stated they were against violence towards civilians, and repeatedly explained that they were calling for peace, attendees told Daily Voice.
Suhail Shafi who witnessed the incident sent Daily Voice a statement reading in part as follows:
"I was a witness to the gun incident. I had been at the rally. The event was winding down. A white car approached the rally and an Arab lady with long and fizzy hair was talking to the driver in a voice that became progressively louder over the minutes. I asked another Arab lady in a scarf sitting a few yards away if the other Arab lady was being harassed. I asked the same question repeatedly and was repeatedly told she was NOT being harassed and the two people were simply talking. I then turned to the car driver and told him he had the option of driving off if he disagreed with us. I noticed him putting his hand in his pocket and then pulling out a gun. The ladies nearby shouted "he has a gun". I called out to the police officers at the top of the stairs at the base of the Capitol. They came down and the car drove off. I tried to remember its license plate."
Video and eyewitness statements to the PCP helped identify Blandy using his vehicle's license plate number.
Pennsylvania State Police and Lebanon County dispatch assisted the PCP in tracking Blandy to his home address, where the South Lebanon Township Police found him and the firearm at 7:30 p.m., according to PCP's statement to Daily Voice.
Superintendent Joe Jacob announced Blandy's arrest over the weekend. He was charged with Felony ethnic intimidation, misdemeanor terroristic threats, misdemeanor simple assault by physical menace, and summary charges for various traffic violations, PCP explained and court documents confirmed.
“I also want to give special thanks to the Pennsylvania State Police and South Lebanon Township Police Department for working with us to take the suspect into custody without incident," Jacob said.
Blandy has been held in the Dauphin County Prison on $50,000 bail, according to his court docket. His preliminary hearing is set before Magisterial District Judge James A. Lenker at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Since the Israel-Palestine conflict reignited on Saturday, Oct. 7, hate crimes appear to be on the rise. Daily Voice has reported on a bomb threat at a Jewish temple in Connecticut on Friday, and the word "Nazis" spray painted on the Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace and Boston Islamic Seminary in Massachusetts on Wednesday. A 6-year-old boy was also stabbed to death and his mother is in critical condition after their landlord attacked them, supposedly due to their Palestinian and Muslim background, the Will County Sheriff's Office and US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland are investigating.
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