Two people were shot dead on Tuesday night in the US city of Kenosha, police said, as groups clashed during protests over the shooting of a black man.
Violence broke out as hundreds of in anger after Jacob Blake was seen in video footage being shot up to seven times at point-blank range by a white Kenosha police officer on Sunday.
Mr Blake was trying to get into his car, with his three children inside, when he was shot on Sunday.
The most recent police shooting of an African American has sparked outrage and protests in US cities, including New York and Minneapolis, as part of the huge Black Lives Matter movement.
The Kenosha police department said local officers, along with assisting agencies, responded to reports of shots being fired and multiple gunshot victims shortly before midnight.
A protester takes cover during clashes outside the Kenosha County Courthouse. Source: AAP
"The shooting resulted in two fatalities and a third gunshot victim was transported to a hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries," the department said in a tweet, adding the investigation was "active and ongoing."
Earlier, footage was posted online showing people running through the streets of Kenosha as gunshots rang out, while other videos showed wounded men lying on the ground.
The police statement said: "Investigators are aware of the social media videos being circulated regarding this incident."
The majority of protests have passed off peacefully, though some demonstrators also burned cars and buildings on Sunday and Monday nights in Kenosha.
Expecting another night of demonstrations, authorities installed a temporary iron fence in front of the county courthouse, a scene of confrontations between police and protesters the last two nights, but few police were seen in the city's streets.
As scuffles with demonstrators kicked off, law enforcement moved armoured vehicles in front of the courthouse and fired rubber bullets at protesters who shot fireworks.
Several civilians were seen carrying weapons on Wednesday night, with at least one small group of mainly white, heavily armed men vowing to protect property.
One video, taken by photographer Alex Lourie, showed a man sitting on the ground bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to his arm as law enforcement vehicles approached him with officers shouting "Back it up" to onlookers.
The injured man was helped to his feet by the officers.
Another showed footage of a man, who appeared to be carrying a rifle, falling to the ground before several gunshots could be heard as people fled from the scene telling one another to take cover.
