Bar Owner Charged With Murder During Nebraska Unrest Commits Suicide

A Nebraska bar owner who was indicted in the fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester in May took his own life on Sunday. Jake Gardner was indicted by a grand jury on Sept. 15 in connection with the shooting of James Scurlock; the indictment came after Douglas County District Attorney Don Kleine cleared Gardner on June 1, saying he acted in self-defense after Scurlock attacked him. After Scurlock's family received enough signatures to to request the convening of a grand jury, the DA appointed special prosecutor Fred Franklin and a grand jury to the case. The jury's charges include manslaughter, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and making terrorists threats. The story received more coverage from right-rated outlets, which tended to focus on Gardner's self-defense claim and emphasized the fact that Gardner was a veteran. Some right-rated outlets also highlighted Gardner's attorneys' claim that Gardner was experiencing "behavioral health concerns" after losing his bars and receiving death threats. Some left- and center-rated outlets tended to highlight the fact that Gardner was white and Scurlock was black, using the phrase "white bar owner" in headlines. Editor's Note, 9/22/20 at 1:08 p.m. ET: Updated to include the fact that the DA initially found Scurlock to have physically assaulted Gardner.