I mean, of all things that is the least incriminating.
Gun nuts LOVE cosplaying and larping as “real” soldiers.
In some of the shittier parts of the US I have even seen idiots wearing vests and masked tape name tags so that they can pretend they are active duty while in line at a mcdonalds. Felt fairly safe grabbing a bite to eat since I saw the pile of guns in the back of their pickup truck but…
The problem is that, in the world we live in, he could have walked in with an m16 in his hands and ten mags duct taped to his body and still made the argument “I was on my way to the local Sheetz and got wrapped up in the excitement”.
These idiots are lazy so it’s probably just because you’re cutting out ten pounds of ceramic and steel plates to carry. Also plates are bulky and weird if you’re not used to them so wearing a plate carrier without them is just easier and more comfortable.