A Florida man was arrested over the weekend after brandishing a loaded gun outside a popular Wilton Manors gay bar. Video from the incident shows Kenneth Justesen wearing a T-shirt with the words “Let’s Go Brandon” on it and holding a handgun while arguing with another man outside Gym Sportsbar on Friday night.
“The gentleman had lost his phone and he was really upset about it, and he started making threats that if he found the person with his phone, he was gonna put a bullet in the back of his head,” witness Anthony Robinson told Miami’s WSVN 7 News.
Related: Lauren Boebert wore a “Let’s go Brandon” dress to meet Donald Trump & thinks it’s hilarious
EXPLICIT LANGUAGE: A man has been arrested by @WMPD411 and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and use of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol after being recorded pulling a gun on a man outside a Wilton Manors bar Friday@SunSentinel story coming soon pic.twitter.com/AtPndamePt
— Austen Erblat (@AustenErblat) June 26, 2022
Witnesses say Justesen was clearly drunk and had been harassing and threatening bar patrons before pulling the weapon out. Police arrested Justesen and charged him with use of a firearm under the influence of alcohol. Another video shows the 45-year-old being lead out of the bar in handcuffs as patrons shouted “Let’s go, Brandon,” in reference to his T-shirt.
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The slogan became a rallying cry for conservatives after fans of NASCAR driver Brandon Brown chanted what sounded like “Let’s go, Brandon!” at a race in Alabama late last year. It later became apparent that they were actually chanting “Fuck Joe Biden.” Since then, “Let’s go Brandon” has been everywhere as a way to say “Fuck Joe Biden” without saying “Fuck Joe Biden.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) wore a dress with the phrase written on it to meet with Donald Trump in November. Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) ended a House speech with “Let’s go Brandon” and fist pump on October 21, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took a picture with a “Let’s Go Brandon” sign at a baseball game, and Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) wore a “Lets go Brandon” facemask in Congress.
Tensions were high over Pride weekend, given the recent spate of mass shootings and far-right groups targeting LGBTQ events.
“Who knows what he would’ve done,” one witness told the South Florida Sun Sentinal. “I don’t know what his intent was.”
Editor’s note: A witness sent in video of Justesen in his T-shirt, where the words “Let’s Go” can be more clearly seen above the word “Brandon.” The first two words were written in an off-white color on the white T-shirt. This article has been updated to reflect that the message was a clear reference to “Let’s go Brandon.”
