What we know about Saturday’s fatal shooting at the downtown Louisville protest

After a month of mostly peaceful protests at Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville, Saturday night was marred by chaos.

One male victim was killed and another person was injured in a shooting that occurred at the site of the ongoing Breonna Taylor demonstrations, which have rocked the city and put Louisville in the international spotlight over the course of the past month.

Several questions remained unanswered Sunday, but here’s a quick look at what happened, what we know and what we don’t know.

More: Louisville shooting: At least one person killed in Jefferson Square Park where Black Lives Matter protests held

What happened Saturday night at Jefferson Square Park?

A shooting Saturdaynight at Jefferson Square Park left one male victim dead and sent another victim to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

The shooting took place at 9 p.m. following a peaceful morning and afternoon at the park, which at one point was expected to be the site of a counterprotest led by an armed “patriot militia.”

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department personnel performed life-saving measures on a man who had been shot at the scene but were unable to save him. He died at the scene, according to Louisville Metro Police spokesman Lamont Washington. Another individual who had been shot was later found at the Hall of Justice, Washington said. That person was taken to nearby University of Louisville Hospital and is expected to survive.

Who are the victims?

The person who was killed has not been identified by Louisville police, who have said he was a male. The individual taken to the hospital was not identified, either.

Was anyone arrested?

Police have not said whether anyone was arrested in connection with the shooting in the chaotic aftermath, which sent protesters scattering across downtown as police cleared the scene.

Investigators were still working the case, Washington wrote in a statement at 4:05 a.m. Sunday, and more updates are expected. Louisville Metro Corrections’ booking log Sunday morning did not appear to show anyone in custody with charges related to a shooting.

More: Louisville police clear tent city at Jefferson Square Park following fatal shooting

What happened afterward at Jefferson Square Park?

The fallout at Jefferson Square Park was swift.

Police locked down the scene, sending in a unit wearing riot gear at around 10 p.m. Officers and remaining protesters got into a few small confrontations in the hours after as the investigation continued, but tear gas was not deployed and force was not used to clear the scene.

Jefferson Square Park was reopened around 8 a.m. Sunday, with tents and other belongings cleared. Protesters had set up a tent city at the park in the past month — tents and other items that were taken by Metro Public Works officials in the hours after the shooting can be picked up Sunday at 600 Meriwether Avenue, Washington wrote.

Tents will no longer be allowed at Jefferson Square Park, Washington added, and protesters will no longer be allowed to stay at the park overnight.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer issued a statement against the violence late Saturday night and said he’d have more to share on Sunday.

“I am deeply saddened by the violence that erupted in Jefferson Square Park tonight, where those who have been voicing their concerns have been gathered,” Fischer wrote. “It is a tragedy that this area of peaceful protest is now a crime scene. My thanks to the first responders who assisted at the scene.”

Why were protesters in downtown Louisville?

Protesters have been at Jefferson Square Park each day for the past month to continue to call for action against the police involved in the killing of Taylor, who was shot in March by LMPD officers executing a no-knock warrant at her apartment.

The protests in Louisville began on May 28 and have continued since then, as the case has attracted international attention and led to protests in other cities around the nation as well.

Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Jefferson Square Park neighbors City Hall, Metro Corrections, the Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice and several other notable city buildings.

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at [email protected], 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.

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