A man has been shot dead close to victory celebrations for Joe Biden in Seattle.
The victim, 31, was rushed to the city’s Harborview Medical Center, but later died from his injuries, officers said. Emergency services had been called to the area around 1am.
The shooting took place close to the Capital Hill Organised Protest (CHOP) zone. Protesters had put up barriers and set up encampments during Black Lives Matter protests in the summer, as they declared the area autonomous.
The zone was cleared of occupants by July, but on Saturday, people gathered in the area to celebrate Biden winning the presidential race against Donald Trump.
No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. A handgun was reportedly found close to the scene of the incident and taken to police.
Officers are still investigating whether the attack was linked to the election Footage from the scene showed police blocking off the area with yellow tape.
Seattle Police said in a statement: ‘Homicide detectives are investigating following the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man early Sunday morning at 10th Avenue East and East Pike Street.
‘Shortly after 1am, Seattle Police responded to reports of a shooting at that location. Upon arrival, officers located the male victim and began life-saving measures until the Seattle Fire Department took over primary care.’
The shooting comes just hours after a Trump supporter was challenged by a journalist for turning up at a demonstration with a rifle in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sky News journalist Alex Crawford could be seen asking the man, who was also wearing a bullet proof vest, why he had dressed like that to protest the election. The man replied: ‘For security’.
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