At least three people were shot in separate incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, on late Tuesday and early Wednesday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in support of protests in Baltimore, a city spokesman said.
Two people were shot in the neck and another was shot in the leg, spokesman Jeff Small said. There is a suspect in custody in the latter case: a 20-year-old male from St. Louis County.
The two victims shot in the neck were hospitalized, Small said.
“Police are having a difficult time investigating because of the rocks being thrown at them,” he said. “At this point police are not sure if the (shootings are) linked to the protest or not.”
St. Louis Alderman Antonio French posted video on his Twitter account. Multiple gunshots can be heard as people flee in panic.
Demonstrators set a portable toilet on fire. One person can be seen squirting what appears to be lighter fluid on it.
The unrest carried on until about 3 a.m. and three police vehicles were damaged by rocks.
The renewed tensions in Ferguson follow rioting in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old was arrested by police on April 12 and died one week later from a fatal spinal cord injury.
Similar deaths over the last year include Michael Brown in Ferguson; Eric Garner in New York; and Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina.
