Shots fired in Ferguson

A day of peaceful rallies in Ferguson, Missouri, gave way to pandemonium on Sunday as gunfire erupted during a standoff between police in riot gear and protesters near where an unarmed black teenager was shot dead by a white officer one year ago. Anniversary commemorations for Michael Brown had begun with a quiet march through the St.

Louis suburb following a moment of silence for 18-year-old Brown, whose slaying on Aug. 9, 2014, ignited months of demonstrations and a national debate on race and justice. The scene changed dramatically after dark with dozens of protesters blocking traffic and smashing store windows along West Florissant Avenue, which bore the brunt of last summer’s rioting, chanting “Shut it down” in the midst of a severe thunderstorm.