A fatal shooting broke out Saturday night at a Kentucky protest over the killing of Breonna Taylor, CNN reports.
The incident occurred at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, where protesters had been peacefully assembled before the gunfire. Reports began to surface around 9 p.m. of the shooting, prompting emergency responders to clear the park and tend to the victims.
Maxwell Mitchell, who frequently streams from the protests, streamed the shooting live. Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department attempted to help one of the gunshot victims, but he died at the scene.
A second shooting victim was located near the park and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Protesters will no longer be permitted to stay in the park overnights or set up tents, but peaceful demonstrations are allowed during the day.
“While most protesters in the park have been largely peaceful, things changed last night when shots rang out,” Louisville Sgt. Lamont Washington told CNN.
“We continue to support the peaceful exercise of free speech. However, our primary focus must be on public safety.”
Mayor Greg Fischer said he was saddened by the shooting.
“It is a tragedy that this area of peaceful protest is now a crime scene,” Fischer said in a statement. “My thanks to the first responders who assisted at the scene.”
Police forcibly entered Taylor’s apartment in March and then shot her at least eight times, killing her. Officers say they announced themselves and returned fire when Taylor’s boyfriend fired at them. Police were serving a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation, but no drugs were found in the home.
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[Feature Photo: Breonna Taylor/Handout]
