The mayor of Minneapolis asked the Minnesota National Guard to move in after protests in the city over the death of George Floyd in the custody of police escalated Wednesday night with a fatal shooting near the site of the demonstrations, widespread looting, fires and the deployment of tear gas.

"I cannot risk the safety of innocent people and so that is what I've been sworn to uphold and that is what I am dedicated to do," Mayor Jacob Frey told NBC affiliate KARE. "We can have both things. We can have peaceful demonstrations, but I also have to ensure the safety of everyone in the city."

The second night of demonstrations near the site of Floyd's death began peacefully but grew violent as the night went on. Gov. Tim Walz late Wednesday called it an "extremely dangerous situation" and urged residents to leave the area.

Frey pleaded with residents for calm.

"I'm imploring our city, imploring our community, imploring every one of us to keep the peace. Let's honor George Floyd's memory," Frey told KARE11 in a phone interview.

One person was in custody in the shooting death near the site of the protests, police said. Officers responded to a report of a stabbing at 9:05 p.m. and found a man who wasn't breathing lying on the sidewalk, police said in a statement Thursday morning.

The unidentified victim was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center. At the hospital, it was discovered the victim had been shot.

Multiple fires were reported, and several businesses were looted. Minneapolis police were assisted by officers from nearby St. Paul, state police and metro transit police.

Beyond the shooting, there were no known injuries to protesters or police, and no additional arrests, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said at a news conference early Thursday.

"Tonight was a different night of protesting than it was just the night before," Elder said.

A reporter for NBC affiliate KARE11 of Minneapolis who was livestreaming the protest reported that an AutoZone and Target had been looted. A Cub Foods and a Dollar Tree also showed signs of damage and looting.

Video showed the AutoZone with broken windows and spray paint. One bystander was warning people against damaging the business, saying it had nothing to do with Floyd's death.

A fire broke out at the AutoZone, a fire department official confirmed Wednesday night.

"Initially ... it was just being looted, but at some point, a fire started," Ricardo Lopez, a journalist for the Minnesota Reformer news organization, told KARE11, adding he wasn't sure how it began.

Protesters set other fires in the street.

nbcnews.com