The world is an ugly place right now. Many of us are fighting for racial equity, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and taking steps toward the hopeful end of anti-Black racism and police brutality. The movement was dimmed for a few weeks after the initial surge of attention from the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor but the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed 29-year-old man who was attempting to break up a verbal altercation between his neighbors, has influenced yet another push.
Protests have been happening in Portland, Kenosha, and other cities around the United States as people hope for a better tomorrow. Last night, another tragedy took place when the protest in Kenosha ended with two people dead and one person hospitalized with non-critical injuries after a shooting.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1298586606685822977
According to a Washington Post journalist, the shooter was a white man who ran away from a group of protestors with a rifle in hand. He is described as having used a long gun to commit the shooting. An investigation is currently underway.
Police were also documented as using rubber bullets and tear gas during the protests.
Protests began again after the shooting of Jacob Blake, of which a graphic video showed him being struck multiple times at close range. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the following during a press conference: "We all watched the horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back several times by Kenosha police. Even worse, his three sons witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets. Their irresponsible, reckless, and inhumane actions nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident. It's a miracle he's still alive."
Rest in peace to the two people killed last night.
