Teen who went to photograph L.A. 'No Kings' rally shot, blinded by Homeland Security agent, attorney says

Source: Los Angeles Times

Teen who went to photograph L.A. 'No Kings' rally shot, blinded by Homeland Security agent, attorney says


People rush to help a fallen man as LAPD officers face off with protesters on Temple Street in Los Angeles after a March 28 "No Kings" rally. (Scott Strazzante / For The Times)

By Summer Lin
Staff Writer
April 7, 2026 11:14 AM PT
4 min

A USC freshman who went to photograph a recent "No Kings" protest in downtown Los Angeles was allegedly shot with a less-lethal projectile by a Department of Homeland Security agent and had to have one of his eyes removed, according to his attorney.

Tucker Collins, 18, was shot in the eye with what appeared to be a projectile containing chemical irritants during the March 28 demonstration, said his attorney, V. James DeSimone. He was taken to the side of the protest at the Metropolitan Detention Center and given an eye patch. A nurse happened to be driving by and offered to take him to the hospital, DeSimone said. {snip} Collins, who is still recovering and wasn't feeling well enough to be interviewed Monday, had his right eye removed as a result of his injuries, according to DeSimone.


Tucker Collins was shot in the eye by a Homeland Security agent during a No Kings protest in Los Angeles on Mar. 28. (Enrique Dominguez Jr.)

"This is the third person who's lost an eye, maybe the fourth by a [Department of Homeland Security agent]." DeSimone said. "Two were in Orange County. I'm not representing those people but my former partners are. I see it as a really rampant problem across the board."

DeSimone's law firm has represented at least 15 people who were allegedly injured by Homeland Security agents during protests since last June, including a guitar player whose finger was shattered and a 79-year-old car wash owner who was slammed to the ground and experienced a brain bleed.

{snip}

Summer Lin
Summer Lin is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered breaking news for the Mercury News and national politics and California courts for McClatchy’s publications. An East Coast native, Lin moved to California after graduating from Boston College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She was among The Times’ staff members who covered the Monterey Park mass shooting in 2023, which was recognized by the Pulitzer Board as a finalist in breaking news.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-07/teen-who-attended-la-no-kings-rally-shot-blinded-by-dhs-agent-attorney-says