Update Tuesday, Nov. 25, 8:14 a.m. 

Over a dozen community buildings have been set ablaze in Ferguson and broken glass, shell casings, debris and bottles litter the ground this morning. Although many people protested civilly, there were some who resorted to violence by breaking into police cars and setting one on fire.

A row of cars in the lot of a car dealership were torched and in the town of Dellwood, Missouri. Dellwood mayor Reggie Jones said, “The fire district does not feel safe coming out to put out fires because of the gunshots and the looting there taking place.” There was such an overwhelming amount of fires that firefighters were not able to rush to every one.

Protesters demanded that the media stop covering the events in Ferguson, Cable News Network staff member Sara Sidner was struck in the head with a rock by an angry protester. There have been 29 arrests made and no serious injuries.

 

Update 11:26 p.m.

A statement released by President Barack Obama urges people across the nation to, “stay calm,” and that anger is, “an understandable reaction,” to the Grand Jury’s verdict on the case.

Another statement released by the Brown family said, “While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen…we respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction.”

Massive protests have taken over Ferguson, with protestors pelting officers with bottles, buildings and vehicles being looted and set on fire, tactical units firing tear gas and gun shots from protestors being fired. There have not been any reports of injuries or deaths.

The statement by the Brown family also said, “Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.” Protests are erupting all over the country, forcing public buildings, roads and bridges to be shut down. Protests spread to Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, where protestors are marching and chanting, “Hands up! Don’t Shoot!” This chant has become a slogan rallying cry for thousands around the country.

 

 

Missouri police officer Darren Wilson will not be indicted for murder in regards to the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen. This news was announced nationally at 8:26 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014. This verdict was passed down from the Grand Jury for the Ferguson case, and announced public ally by the prosecutor of the case.

The details of the case began when Wilson was called to the scene for a break in, and when he saw that Brown matched the description of the criminal, he pursued him. What resulted was Wilson allegedly shooting and killing Brown and leaving Brown’s body in the streets for four hours. This news provoked protesting in Ferguson and nationwide.

The importance of physical evidence in the case and numerous eye witness accounts of the shooting resulted in the final decision made by the Grand Jury. Despite Wilson not being indicted, Bob McCulloch, the prosecutor delivering the Grand Jury’s decision, said, “No young man should ever die.”

An entire community and nation is mourning the death of the teen, which is visible through substantial news coverage and social media reports.

In a predominantly black community with a predominantly white police force, many argued that race played a large factor into why Brown was shot and killed. In addition, many protestors, community members and spectators took to social media to share their views. This led to an uprising and unrest in the Ferguson community and beyond.

Since the announcement, protests have occurred nationwide in major cities and on social media. Live feeds into Ferguson, St. Louis, Chicago and other cities reveal substantial amounts of looting, fire and structural damage. What began as peaceful protest is building into a story for the history books, a chapter potentially labeled as “the new shot heard round the world.”

The story is still developing.