The gate was broken. There are photos. There was also a sign clearly stating that a private street started behind the gate.
You're attributing intention to a crowd that you know nothing about, and also expecting the McClusky's to do the same. Nobody knows the intention of a trespasser until it's too late. There are people who have broken into homes, raped the whole family, tied them up, and burned them alive. You don't give strangers the benefit of the doubt when they enter your property.
You just simply don't know the intentions of people. Especially a group of angry people that have forced their way onto your clearly marked private property. Any reasonable person with a pair of balls would grab a weapon and posture up to protect themselves, their family, and their property.