Wednesday, June 3, 2020

UPDATE: Five people shot at North Beach in Racine

From The Journal Times.com:

RACINE — Five people were shot at North Beach Tuesday evening, Racine Police confirmed late Tuesday night.

All five victims were transported to the hospital, according to Racine Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Chad Melby. The conditions of the victims were unknown as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Melby said. Police had not released the names or any information about the victims at that time.

At 7:20 p.m. when the shooting occurred, about a mile away hundreds of people were gathered outside the Racine County Courthouse chanting in support of justice for George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis. Around an hour before that, hundreds stood in silence, honoring Floyd.

While police said they didn't know of any association between the shooting and protests that also occurred on Tuesday evening in Racine, tensions were high that night as people flocked to Michigan Avenue to see what was going on after the report of the shooting, with some people shouting at each other.

One man, who was on Michigan Avenue at the time of the shooting, but declined to give his name, said he saw a group in the parking lot near North Beach.

A dispute occurred in the parking lot and multiple people started jumping on top of a truck. The truck then sped off and smashed into a Jeep. At some point someone started randomly spraying bullets at people.

Read more: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/scanner-reports-four-people-shot-at-north-beach-in-racine/article_572d6ba2-0e0a-5a63-ad21-46836145ce01.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Sad - just sad. North Beach is one of my favorite places to bicycle to.

Meanwhile - look at Downtown Racine:

RACINE — Multiple Downtown Racine businesses this week have boarded up windows in an attempt to keep them safe in case violence breaks out here in connection to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Sunday night into Monday morning, several Downtown buildings had windows broken. The former Zahn’s building at 500 Main St. in Downtown Racine had a few windows broken. The building is currently vacant, although there are plans in the works to convert it into a boutique hotel.

On Monday, several individuals reported that caches of rocks and bricks were hidden Downtown. No violence erupted on Monday night, but shops left the boards up on Tuesday as a precaution.

Kelly Kruse, Executive Director of Downtown Racine Corporation, said Racine Police and Racine County Sheriff’s officials had swept the Downtown area trying to remove any caches of items that could be use to destroy private property. DRC informed business owners so they could take measures to protect their storefronts.

“It’s just a sad situation,” said Kruse. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the protesters. I think this has to do with looters taking advantage of protesting. This is just looters taking advantage of the situation.”

On Monday, Dee Hutch and Will Reynoso, owners of Focus 21 Studios, 345 Main St. and employee Luke Ekstowicz were standing outside keeping an eye on the situation shortly after the second protest of the day kicked off down the street. Hutch, who also works at Black Hand Tattoo, 406 Main St., said both shops moved all their equipment to another location, just in case.

Read more: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/downtown-racine-businesses-boarded-up-in-case-of-violence/article_1a85d791-6f23-5e84-bb41-9b86546fcd84.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

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