7 People Shot In Louisville—1 In Critical Condition—As Violent Protests Erupt Across The Country
by Sarah HansenTOPLINE
As protests erupted in cities across the United States over the death of George Floyd, seven people were shot Thursday night, with one in critical condition, during a protest in Louisville, Kentucky over the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in her apartment in March.
KEY FACTS
At least one person was in critical condition on Friday morning, the Associated Press reported, and all seven shot were civilians.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said on Twitter that five people were in good condition and two underwent surgery.
“I feel the community’s frustration, the anger, the fear, but tonight’s violence and destruction is not the way to solve it,” Mayor Fischer said.
The shots were fired around 11:30 p.m., according to a local TV station, after a crowd of hundreds had gathered around Metro Hall in downtown Louisville demanding justice for Taylor.
Earlier in the day, audio of a 911 call to police by Taylor’s boyfriend on the day she was killed was released.
Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who had knocked down her front door after her boyfriend fired a gun, believing the police to be intruders; no drugs were found.
Crucial quote
“Louisville, thank you so much for saying Breonna’s name tonight. We are not going to stop until we get justice,” a woman said in a video tweeted by Mayor Fischer late Thursday. Fischer said the video was a message from Taylor’s family. “But we should stop tonight before people get hurt. Please go home, be safe and be ready to keep fighting.”
Key background
George Floyd died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes as he shouted “I can’t breathe," according to video of the incident. The four officers involved were swiftly fired after the video surfaced, but the incident set off a wave of unrest in Minneapolis that has spread across the country. Protests broke out in New York on Thursday afternoon and devolved into violence between police and demonstrators, leading to the arrests of several protests. Protestors in Columbus smashed bank windows and stormed the state capitol, and a police precinct in Phoenix was pelted with rocks. Shots were also fired in Denver on Thursday night, but no one was injured.
Further reading
Protests Erupt Across The Country As Minneapolis Police Precinct Burns (Forbes)
Minneapolis Protests Over George Floyd’s Death Turn Chaotic; National Guard Called (Forbes)
Minneapolis Mayor Calls For Charges Against Officer Who Knelt On George Floyd’s Neck (Forbes)