Reports of shots fired outside the Colorado State Capitol amid protests over the death of George Floyd
- The Denver Police Department responded to calls of shots fired outside the Colorado State Capitol Thursday evening amid a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd.
- It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured in the incident.
- State Rep. Leslie Herod on Twitter said she went outside to observe the protests when "someone shot into the crowd."
- Another witness who was at the Floyd protest said he and his friend "ran for our f---ing lives" and implored others thinking of protesting in Denver not to do so, saying "no one else needs to die."
Peaceful demonstrators and at least one state lawmaker took cover at the Colorado State Capitol building Thursday evening amid reports of gunfire during protests over the death of George Floyd.
The Denver Police Department responded to reports of shots fired near Colfax and Broadway, but it is not immediately clear whether anyone was injured.
Representatives from the Denver Police Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for more information.
Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod, who was present during the incident, tweeted, "We just got shot at. Capitol."
Herod told The Denver Post's Alex Burness that she was observing the protests outside the capitol when "someone shot into the crowd."
"We heard multiple gunshots," Herod said. "State Patrol is on scene. They told us all to get down and run."
Herod told Insider that she heard gunshots, was told by the police to get down, and then ran into the capitol. She told Insider one of the shots made it into the building. She also said a suspect was apprehended, which has not been confirmed by authorities at the scene.
"We're going to stand up for our community," Herod said regarding the protests, adding that gunshots would not intimidate those working to end police brutality. "We will continue to do the work," she said. Floyd, who was black, died Monday after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.
The KKTV reporter Spencer Wilson shared a video from the scene 15 minutes after shots were heard, saying, "Bullets just wizzed by on the state capital, police yelled for us to get down, then took off towards the west lawn."
One witness, who said he was at the capitol protesting over Floyd's death when shots were fired, said he and his friend "ran for our f---ing lives after the incident." He then implored other members of the public not to attend the protest in Denver, adding that "no one else needs to die."
The protests continued across Denver, with some instances of demonstrators clashing with police officers outfitted in riot gear. The Denver Post's Tiney Ricciardi tweeted photos of protesters clogging the highways in the city, with the police apparently shooting tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
One Twitter user posted a graphic video of a protester getting hit by a vehicle that was pushing through a crowd of demonstrators. The condition of the protester is not immediately known.