An American anarchist who claimed he fled the States in 2016 following drug charges was recently shot dead at his home in Acapulco, Mexico, according to reports.
On a YouTube channel called Press for Truth, John Galton, 43, and his girlfriend, Lily, reportedly recalled how they left the country as they were facing 25 years for harvesting marijuana extracts to treat Lily’s chronic pain. The channel followed up with the pair a year later, revealing that Lily’s glass blowing business was keeping them financially afloat in Mexico. During that interview, Galton dodged questions about whether U.S. authorities made contact with them—but noted that Acapulco was safer than most American cities he’s lived, including Chicago.
“There’s pockets of freedom all over the world. There’s so much that’s more free about where we live here,” he says during the video.
Despite their story of fleeing the feds, the Associated Press reported that a search of U.S. court records turned up no drug charges for Galton. It’s unclear whether Galton is the slain man’s government name or a pseudonym; the outlet noted that John Galt is the hero in Ayn Rand’s libertarian opus “Atlas Shrugged.”
Lily recently took to social media pleading for help—claiming gunmen killed Galton and wounded his friend, Jason Henza, 43. The Associated Press reported that Henza was shot in the armpit, leg, and hand and was released from the hospital the same day.
“John’s dead at the gate,” Lily says. “Someone help please come.”
During the one-minute video, a bloodied Henza says he believes the attack was “backlash” but he didn’t disclose the events preceding the shooting or a motive.
A 2017 Washington Post article, titled “How Acapulco became Mexico’s murder capital,” reveals that Acapulco has been the country’s deadliest city for five consecutive years. The article not only mentions that the Mexican city has seen more than 12,000 murders in the first half of 2017, but how more than 21 gangs operate out of the city—and how larger drug cartels elicit those gangs’ help for jobs.
“In Acapulco, the faded playground of Hollywood stars, where the Kennedys honeymooned and John Wayne basked in the clifftop breeze, drugs are no longer even the main story,” the Post article details.
“This is a place awash in crime of all stripes, where criminals no longer have to hide.”
[Featured image: Facebook video screengrab]
