Accused Cop Shooter Eric Frein Reenacting Rambo, Colleague Suggests
The Pennsylvania man accused of killing a state trooper and wounding another trooper in an ambush is a military enthusiast who reenacted battles and may have been imitating Rambo, a fellow war reenactor told ABC News today.
Frein is part of a collection of groups called Red Alliance that practices MilSim -- recreating battles or wars with real uniforms and weapons for recreational purposes. They are particularly interested in Eastern European armies. Frein helped found the MilSim group Eastern Wolves, said fellow reenactor Roman Kamensky.
The Eastern Wolves specialize in the tactics and battles of Eastern European armies and Frein, a marksman who is the son of retired U.S. Army major, took part in their maneuvers, Kamensky said.
"If he's re-enacting anyone, it's Rambo from the very first movie," Kamensky said. In the first Rambo movie, "First Blood," the character is a traumatized Vietnam War vet who battles sheriff's deputies who arrest and abuse him before he escapes into the woods.
Kamensky believes he's seen the gun that Frein allegedly used in the ambush. Police found .308 cartridges in Frein's vehicle after the attack and the suspect's father told police two guns were missing from his home, including a .308 rifle with a scope.
Frein's views don't represent the larger MilSim community, Kamensky said, which often raises money for charity at its events.
"I'd like to completely disassociate that he was interested in the Eastern European military or that he wore the Serbian uniform. He put a bad light on us," said Kamensky, 31, of New York City.
"We respect cops, we don't try to kill cops," Kamensky added.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/accused-cop-shooter-eric-frein-reenacting-rambo-colleague/story?id=25633499
