A Portland man has been charged with murder after fatally shooting a woman and injuring four others at an anti-police brutality protest in the city last weekend. The man, 43-year-old Benjamin Smith, confronted a group of demonstrators on Saturday (Feb. 19) who were protesting the police killing of Amir Locke, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

According to Deputy District Attorney Mariel Mota, Smith “approached the demonstration” and told protesters to leave the area. However, “several participants asked Smith to leave them alone,” the statement reads. “Moments later, Smith drew a firearm and fired at the crowd, striking five people.”

Smith shot 60-year-old Brandy “June” Knightly in the head at close range, killing her at the scene. He also shot and injured four others, leaving one person paralyzed from the neck down, The Guardian reports.

The D.A.’s office said Smith only stopped firing after he was shot in the hip area. He’s currently at a hospital in critical condition. On Tuesday (Feb. 22), he was charged with murder in the second degree with a firearm, four counts of attempted murder in the first degree with a firearm and assault.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Knightly was working to protect protesters from traffic when she was killed, which she had been doing since 2020.

“As a community, this is deeply wounding and distressing,” Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said about her death in a statement. “June was part of a group of unarmed women peacekeepers who supported racial justice demonstrations and engaged in compassionate work with the homeless.”

Speaking to The Oregonian, Smith’s roommate Kristine Christenson said he often criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, Democrats, mask mandates and rising rates of crime and homelessness in the city.

“He talked about wanting to go shoot commies and antifa,” she said, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.