#For second straight night, shooting reported in cop-free Seattle protest zone

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People stand at a makeshift memorial to one of the victims of a June 20 shooting in Seattle’s so-called Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ.
Toby Scott/SOPA Images/Shutterst

At least one person was shot on Sunday night inside Seattle’s autonomous protest zone, where demonstrators have settled during the civil unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.

The Seattle Police Department said in a tweet at 11:26 p.m. that one person had suffered a gunshot wound while inside the area and that a second shooting may have taken place.

“Police investigating reported shooting inside CHOP zone,” the department wrote. “One person at HMC with gun shot wound.”

The “CHOP zone” refers to the so-called Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone, which was originally created as a space for nonviolent demonstration but has devolved into violence for a second straight night.

On Saturday, a 19-year-old man was killed after a shooting took place inside the zone.

Officers responding to the shooting said they had trouble getting to the scene because they were “were met by a violent crowd that prevented officers safe access to the victims.”

Seattle Police last week said that they would only enter the zone for “significant life-safety issues.”