'We just got shot at': Shots fired during protest near Capitol in Denver

Gunfire near the state Capitol building in Denver sent protesters running Thursday night.

State police were forced to lock down the Capitol building after the gunshots rang out, according to Gary Cutler, a spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol. State Rep. Leslie Herod, who was in the building at the time of the shooting, described the situation on Twitter.

"We just got shot at. Capitol," Herod tweeted. "I’m ok. Someone shot into the rally."

Six or seven shots were fired, but no injuries were reported. Cutler said it was unclear who was the target of the gunfire.

Denver was one of several cities across the United States protesting following the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this week. Hundreds gathered as the scene quickly delved into chaos. At one point, a person in a vehicle appeared to try and run over a protester blocking her vehicle.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis condemned the violent outbursts. "Coloradans are better than this. I share the immense anguish we all feel about the unjust murder of George Floyd. But let me be clear, senseless violence will never be healed by more violence," he said.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also urged protesters to remain peaceful. In a post to Twitter, he defended the police officers in his city.

"We must not turn on one another. We must stand united. The men and women of the [Denver Police Department] are not the enemy," he wrote. "For the last three months as we have weathered the storm of this terrible pandemic, they have put their lives at great risk protecting all of us."