During the protest of the shooting of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, masked gunmen shot members of the "Black Lives Matter" movement. The Minneapolis Police Department said five people were shot about a block north of the Fourth Precinct where the protests were taking place. The victims were taken to a nearby hospital, and luckily none sustained life-threatening injuries.
According to Miski Noor, an organizer of the Minneapolis arm of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, three men were escorted from the protest after they were seen acting in a suspicious manner. After protesters walked the men a block away from the activity, the masked gunmen turned around and shot their escorts. People have gathered in Minneapolis for over a week to protest the shooting of Jamar Clark, 24, by police.
According to the New York Times, one of the victims was shot in the stomach, and underwent surgery early Tuesday morning.
Minneapolis police said on Twitter that they were seeking three white males in connection with the shooting, however no arrests have been made. They also mentioned evidence was still being collected from the crime scene.
Witnesses at the protest said police sprayed them with Mace after they tried to film the aftermath of the incident. Police have not responded to such allegations.
Protests began hours after Jamar Clark was shot, and have including the erection of tents outside a police precinct near where Clark was shot. According to the New York Times, law enforcement used chemical irritants against the protesters in an attempt to mitigate alleged violence in the crowd.
Mayor of Minneapolis, Betsy Hodges, issued a statement calling on protesters to "act peacefully." She said, in her statement, "I understand that emotions are running high in the community and across the city. I share many of the emotions that people are feeling in Minneapolis today."
