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'Students Demand Action Colorado' backs out of weekend rally over a death threat

Posted at 5:31 PM, Aug 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-02 19:59:30-04

DENVER -- The March on NRA is expected to draw big crowds not only in downtown Denver, but across the United States this weekend. But young activists from 'Students Demand Action Colorado' have decided to pull out of being a co-sponsor after getting threats through social media.

"I'm already being threatened that I'm going to lose my life," said Sam Craig, who leads the state chapter of the group.

Craig said the threat came from an unknown commenter on Facebook who claimed he was going to bring his 3D guns and that "my rights are more important than your life," the post read.

"If someone is saying they're going to shoot up an event, I think that also counts as terrorism," Craig said. "We're calling this domestic terrorism."

The Denver Police Department confirms it is investigating the Facebook comment. In a statement, the department said, "We look into all threats seriously and investigate accordingly."

Denver7 also reached out to the group Rally For Our Rights. The gun rights group plans to counter-protest at the Saturday rally.

"People making threats like that is just alarming," said Rally For Our Rights co-founder Lesley Hollywood. "We would never condone such a thing."

With the country so divided these days, Hollywood wishes the dialogue would shift.

"We can actually maybe just talk," said Hollywood. "With all the rallies we have had, we have had six now, we have had counter-protesters. By the end we are all friends."

For Sam Craig and his group, they'll sit Saturday out for now.

"This is a story about full-grown adults threatening students," he said.