Kenosha police Jacob Blake shooting fallout: 3 shot, 2 fatally on third night of unrest

Sheridan Road in Kenosha is seen in this photo Wednesday morning, Aug. 26, 2020, — Two were killed and one was injured on this stretch of Sheridan Road in Kenosha Tuesday night.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Three people were shot, two of them fatally, overnight as hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators clashed again with authorities and armed counter-protesters during the third night of unrest in this southeastern Wisconsin city following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, protesters starting throwing bottles and rocks at police stationed behind a fence erected in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse, which had been damaged in the previous nights. Flags were set on fire and some large fireworks were thrown at officers, some of whom retreated inside the building as protesters attempted to push over the fence.

“Arrest the police!” marchers shouted.

A short time later, police started firing pepper balls and tear gas back at the crowd.

After 10 p.m., after police repeatedly told protesters to disperse, a line of officers in riot gear starting pushing out from the courthouse. Protesters initially held their ground but later ran as police fired tear gas. “Medic” one woman screamed.

Some in the crowd continued to throw fireworks back and chant, “Black lives matter!”

The shooting of Blake on Sunday in Kenosha — apparently in the back while three of his children looked on — was captured on cellphone video and has since ignited new protests over racial injustice in several cities, coming just three months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police touched off a wider reckoning on race.

Blake is paralyzed, and it would “take a miracle” for him to walk again, his family’s attorney said Tuesday, while calling for the officer who opened fire to be arrested and others involved to lose their jobs.

Police advance on protesters in Civic Center Park through a curtain of smoke during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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An activist stands in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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An activist burns an American flag near the Kenosha County Courthouse during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A deputy with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office sits in the turret cupola of a bearcat telling protesters to disperse while shooting some with pepper balls during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Dozens of burned out cars sit in Car Source Used Pre-owned vehicles at 5821 Sheridan Rd. in Kenosha, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. These vehicles were burned during a protests after police shot Jacob Blake. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Activists march by a burned out business on 60th Street in Kenosha, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A vehicle with activists holding up Black Lives Matter signs drives by a burned out business on 60th Street in Kenosha, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A group of activists march down 60th Street in Kenosha, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A vehicle with activists holding up pro Black Lives Matter signs drives on 60th Street, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A Justice for Jacob Blake sign sits in front of a burned out Garbage Truck, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Kevin Mathewson, left, a former Alderman of Kenosha, speaks with a Black Lives Matter activist, right, while Brother Chuck, a Franciscan Fryer, moderates the discussion, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A Black Lives Matter activist, left, shakes the hand of Kevin Mathewson, a former Alderman of Kenosha, after a debate, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A group of activists rally near Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Wisconsin National Guardsmen march past a police officer near the Kenosha County Courthouse during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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The Kenosha County Courthouse sits with a large fence surrounding it during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters organize around the Kenosha County Courthouse minutes after Kenosha’s curfew went into effect during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters with homemade shields bang on a fence guarding the Kenosha County Courthouse to taunt police, during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters walk through a cloud of smoke outside the Kenosha County Courthouse during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters try to form a shield wall as police shoot them with pepper balls during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters with their hands up stand off with police during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters create a shield wall with umbrellas and homemade shields during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A woman stands in front of a police bearcat stopping it from advancing towards protesters in Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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People stand in front of a police bearcat stopping it from advancing towards protesters in Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters attempt to use a dumpster as cover as they are shot with pepper balls from police during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Two police bearcats advance towards Civic Center Park attempting to disperse protesters during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A police bearcat advance towards Civic Center Park attempting to disperse protesters during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Police march behind bearcats after clearing out Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters and police stand off with one another on Sheridan Road near Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Police bearcats sit parked in Civic Center Park during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Police tend to a officer who was injured after a protester threw a firework into their ranks during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Protesters retreat as a tear gas canister explodes in their center of them during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A line of police march down Sheridan Road through a cloud of smoke and tear gas during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A woman stands in the middle of the street with her fist in the air as police advance on Sheridan Road during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A few protesters stand their ground on Sheridan Road as police advance on them during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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A group of armed individuals stand in front of Ultimate Convenience Center on Sheridan Road during a protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Unrest turns violent

Away from the center of the city, heavily armed men could be seen guarding a convenience store at 60th and Sheridan.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said that three people were shot — two of them fatally — around 11:45 p.m. near 63rd Street and Sheridan Road.

Authorities are investigating whether the shooting was related to a confrontation between protesters and the group of armed men. The victims have not been identified.

Beth said one victim was shot in the head and another in the chest, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The third victim’s wounds were not believed to life-threatening.

He said investigators had reviewed footage of what happened and he was confident a man would be arrested soon.

Beth told the Journal Sentinel that armed people had been patrolling the city’s streets in recent nights, but he did not know if the shooter was among them.

“They’re a militia,” Beth said. “They’re like a vigilante group.”

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black, said in an interview with the news program “Democracy Now!” that the shootings were not surprising and that white militias have been ignored for too long.

“How many times across this country do you see armed gunmen, protesting, walking into state Capitols, and everybody just thinks it’s OK?” Barnes said. “People treat that like it’s some kind of normal activity that people are walking around with assault rifles.”

Cellphone video of at least two of the shootings that was posted online shows a young man with a rifle jogging down the middle of a street as a crowd and some police officers follow him. Someone in the crowd can be heard asking, “What did he do?” and another person responds that the man had shot someone.

The man with the gun stumbles and falls, and as he is approached by people in the crowd, he fires three or four shots from a seated position, hitting at least two people, including one who falls over and another who stumbles away to cries of “Medic! Medic!”

A witness, Julio Rosas, 24, said that when the gunman stumbled and fell, “two people jumped onto him and there was a struggle for control of his rifle. At that point during the struggle, he just began to fire multiple rounds and that dispersed people near him.”

“The rifle was being jerked around in all directions while it was being fired,” Rosas said.

In the cellphone footage, as the crowd scatters, the gunman stands up and continues walking down the street as police cars arrive. The man puts up his hands and walks toward the squad cars, with someone in the crowd yelling at police that the man had just shot someone, but several of the cars drive past him toward the people who had been shot.

Pepper balls are being fired at protesters. Protesters are throwing fireworks, rocks and bottles. They face off. pic.twitter.com/hazX2Xgzrw
— Manny Ramos (@_ManuelRamos_) August 26, 2020

Earlier in the evening, there was a tense standoff between the demonstrators in downtown Kenosha and a half-dozen armed men, including some dressed in military fatigues and carrying weapons.

A woman with a smaller group shouted, “You loot, we shoot!”

“This infuriates me and is an example that they would rather protect infrastructure than people’s lives,” activist Gregory Sherman said. “We are here demanding justice for Jacob Blake and everyone else ... They’d rather bring their guns to try and intimidate us.”

Activist Gregory Sherman confronts a counter protester in Kenosha Tuesday.

Few police accompanied the marchers as they took to the streets earlier Tuesday evening, and none could be seen outside the newly erected fences around the courthouse.

Although Gov. Tony Evers said he planned to send 250 more Wisconsin National Guard troops to the city to protect state buildings and support first responders and firefighters, few could be seen except around the courthouse.

“The ability to exercise First Amendment rights is a critically important part of our democracy and the pursuit of justice. But there remains a line between peaceful assembly and what we saw last night that put individuals, families, and businesses in danger,” Evers said in a statement.

People pass by what used to be B&L Office Furniture, Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020. The store was set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Burnt cars, which were set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday, are seen in this photo Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Burnt cars, which were set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday, are seen in this photo Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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People clean up a boarded-up shop in Kenosha Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Burnt cars, which were set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday, are seen in this photo Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020.

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Volunteers scrub the wall of Reuther Central High School in Kenosha Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after protests erupted following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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A person passes by what used to be the Department of Corrections building Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020. The building was set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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People pass by a boarded-up shop in Kenosha Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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The burned down Department of Corrections building is seen in this photo Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020. The building was set on fire following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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People pass by a shop with broken windows Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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People board up Jewell Motors Used Cars Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Reginald Nash Jr. holds hist fist up Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. “It’s so terrifying you can’t even go outside your house anymore and not feel threatened by police. … We don’t want to damage our cities … We just want to be heard,” Nash said. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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People stand near a boarded-up Subway in Kenosha Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2020, after a night of unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Eerie day

The march took place as a city curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. for the third night in a row. Officials said it would stay in place until 7 a.m.

Tuesday afternoon, Blake’s family held a press conference demanding justice for Blake, who family feared could end up paralyzed, but after his mother asked that no more looting or destruction take place in this city of 100,000.

Furniture store destroyed

Earlier Tuesday, businesses along a usually busy stretch of 60th Street near downtown were reduced to blackened rubble and firefighters were still dousing hotspots. Windows everywhere were shattered, stores looted. At Civic Center Park, across the street from the courthouse, a handful of community volunteers roamed the area picking up garbage.

There were 34 fires associated with the unrest, with 30 businesses destroyed or damaged along with an unknown number of residences, Kenosha Fire Chief Charles Leipzig told the Kenosha News.

Scott Carpenter stood outside what remained of the used furniture business his father started in the family garage 40 years ago.

“It saddens my heart. It hurts,” said Carpenter, 51.

All that remained inside the hollowed out store was the charred heating and cooling system that collapsed onto the showroom floor when the ceiling gave way.

Of the thousands of items the store carried, Carpenter said he managed to find a single undamaged one — a metal vase.

“I’m without a job, my daughter is without a job,” he said in a quiet voice. “It’s hurtful knowing the hatefulness is there and that other people are going to suffer just like us.”

A couple of doors down, at a law office, all of the windows were shattered.

“I feel like I’m in a movie,” said Jenny Eaton, who works in the office. “The probation and parole office is on fire, a man who spent all his life running a business now has nothing. I don’t know how this helps Black Lives Matter. At this point, all lives matter. Let’s get it together, America. This is doing nothing but putting us further into a recession.”

Phillip Marry owns the 92-year-old law office building where Eaton works. He pointed to some cinder blocks used to smash the building’s stained glass windows that “can’t be replaced.”

“It’s a sad day, a very sad day,” said Marry, who is a criminal defense lawyer.

He also said he understands the protesters’ frustrations. “But taking it out on business owners I don’t think is the right thing to do,” he said.

Crews install metal barricades around the Kenosha County Courthouse Tuesday morning.

Thick smoke from Corrections building

In the predawn hours, the smoke along 22nd Avenue was so thick it was impossible to see anything more than half a block away except the flashing lights of fire trucks. Firefighters stepped over the rubble of buildings in silence as they poured water on remaining hot spots.

Smoke was rising from what remained of the Department of Corrections building, which was set on fire.

“All this s- - - right here is replaceable, but our lives are not replaceable,” said Wendell Coleman, a longtime resident. “The police, they harass anybody of color here.”

Regina Luckett, a former Chicagoan who has lived in Kenosha for six years, pulled over to watch as bulldozers began to clean up the DOC.

“The police system is messed up, it’s like they’re more aggressive to men and women of color,” Luckett said. “And I hate for it to come to this, but how else are they going to listen? It’s sad but it’s needed.”

Other residents surveying the scene disagreed.

“This is totally f---ing senseless, this was not done by communities of upset people, this was done by have-nothing, do-nothing chaos agents,” said one man, Paul, who declined to use his last name.

Jeannine Field, director of the Kenosha Human Development Services next door to the DOC, said the crisis prevention center had to move its residents to another facility during the unrest.

“I think everything that happened last night here in Kenosha is an incredible tragedy, but Kenosha is a strong place and we’ll pull together and we’ll get through it,” Field said.

A protester stands near a burning truck outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, where police clashed with protesters in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A member of the Wisconsin National Guard stands watch outside B&L Office Furniture Inc. at 1101 60th St. in Kenosha, one of several businesses to burn during the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters pose in front of a burning truck outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, where police clashed with protesters in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake in the Wisconsin city, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A firefighter struggles with the hose alone at 59th Street and 11th Avenue as several businesses burn nearby, including the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Community Corrections Division, in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Police use tear gas on protesters as they clash outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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The Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Community Corrections Division at 1212 60th St. in Kenosha was one of several businesses to burn during the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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B&L Office Furniture Inc. at 1101 60th St. in Kenosha was one of several businesses to burn during the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A member of the Wisconsin National Guard stands watch outside one of several businesses burning during the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A used car lot is one of several businesses to burn during the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters face off with police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protests resumed in Kenosha, Wisc. on Monday evening after police shot and wounded a Black man the day before. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march around Kenosha in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters face off with police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march around Kenosha in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters face off with police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march around Kenosha in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march around Kenosha in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march around Kenosha in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters march by boarded up businesses in Kenosha on the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protesters face off with police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in the second night of unrest after police shot Jacob Blake, Monday night, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Police block protesters from the Kenosha Public Safety Building in the wake of unrest overnight after police shot Jacob Blake in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Police guard the entrance to the Kenosha Public Safety Building, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. Protesters are gathered in downtown Kenosha, one day after police shot Jacob Blake. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Police pepper spray protesters from the Kenosha Public Safety Building in the wake of unrest overnight after police shot Jacob Blake in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Community activist Eric Russell rallys with protesters in downtown Kenosha in the wake of unrest overnight after police shot Jacob Blake in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A man gets milk and water poured on his face after he was pepper sprayed while protesters were trying to enter the Kenosha Public Safety Building, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. Protesters are gathered in downtown Kenosha, one day after police shot Jacob Blake. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Getty photographer Scott Olson gets milk and water poured on his face after he was pepper sprayed while photographing protesters trying to enter the Kenosha Public Safety Building, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. Protesters are gathered in downtown Kenosha, one day after police shot Jacob Blake. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian attempts to address protesters outside the Kenosha Public Safety Building in the wake of unrest overnight after police shot Jacob Blake in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Protestors confront Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputies outside the Kenosha Police Department in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Kenosha police shot a man Sunday evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man’s back. | Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP

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A man on a bike rides past a city truck on fire outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Kenosha police shot a man Sunday evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man’s back. | Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP

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People pound on the Kenosha Police Department door in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Kenosha police shot a man Sunday evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man’s back. | Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP

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People take photos of a used car lot that was burned in downtown Kenosha during unrest overnight after police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday morning, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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People walk past a used car lot that was burned in downtown Kenosha during unrest overnight after police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday morning, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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A man and children walk past a truck that was burned in downtown Kenosha during unrest overnight after police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the the 2800 block of 40th Street, Monday morning, Aug. 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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So many fires

About 11 p.m. Monday, a mattress store at Roosevelt Road and 22nd Avenue burned uninterrupted in the city’s Uptown neighborhood for more than 20 minutes as dozens of people stood nearby and watched.

An empty fire station stood about 100 yards away, its firefighters and equipment fighting other blazes blocks away that made the sky glow red.

A wall of the two-story brick building that housed the mattress store came crashing down and sent people running to safer distances.

At the same time, a separate blaze burned a nearby Boost Mobile store and briefly caused a panic as bystanders wondered if people living in apartments above the storefront got out OK.

Spectators largely dispersed with the arrival of fire trucks, National Guard troops and police, who cordoned off the area.

“It’s ironic that Uptown, a black community, is burning,“ said Troy Williams, 30, a personal trainer who lives in the area and shook his head as he watched the flames.

“I definitely think it’s people from out of town that are setting things on fire. I don’t believe it’s Kenoshans doing it to their own city,” Williams said.

Looters had broken into the stores and set the fires, according to witnesses.

“I feel pretty terrible, honestly,” said a Kenosha man in his 20s who didn’t want his name used. “The city’s burning, you know, nobody wants to see that. There ain’t no reason for any of this.”

Contributing: The Associated Press, Jermaine Nolen