“Tony Rice, a Ferguson resident and protester, said: “The shots came from up Tiffin Avenue” - an upwards-sloping street directly opposite the police department. DeRay Mckesson, a prominent leader of the Ferguson protest movement, agreed that the shots were fired from “the alley or street” behind where protesters stood.

“I’m 100% sure on that,” Rice told the Guardian. “Clearly no one shot a gun close to me.”

“Yet, when asked to confirm that the shooter or shooters had not been among the protest, Belmar [police chief] said: “I don’t know who did the shooting, to be honest with you right now. But somehow they were embedded in that group of folks.” The police chief said he had no details on descriptions of suspects or on the weapon or weapons used.”

theguardian.com