Rifle ammunition, Molotov cocktails found by Portland police responding to shooting

PORTLAND, Ore. - The 60th consecutive day of protests in Portland was punctuated last night by a bag of rifle ammunition and Molotov cocktails found by police responding to the chaotic scene.

Around the same time the ammunition and destructive devices were uncovered in the area, Portland Police responded to reports of gunfire in Lownsdale Square Park. Two people were taken into custody near SW 4th Avenue and SW Salmon Street but have since been released. A person arrived at a hospital by private vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound but the injury was not life-threatening, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.

Police said they found a bag containing loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails at the same park. A photo of the items was shared in a tweet from the police bureau saying someone pointed out the bag to officers at Lownsdale Square Park late Sunday. No further information was immediately released.

Police said the discovery of the ammunition and the shooting around the same time did not appear to be related, though the investigation is ongoing.

The shooting occurred about a block from where protesters have been clashing with police and U.S. agents, KATU reported. Tweets from the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse indicate another large crowd late Sunday. It wasn't clear if either incident was connected to the demonstrations.

Police said they found a bag containing loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails at the same park. (Source: Portland Police Department)

The protest late Sunday started peacefully, but intensified early Monday. Some demonstrators crowded around the fence surrounding the federal courthouse in downtown Portland and shot off fireworks. U.S. agents deployed gas and flash bangs, and warned protesters to stay off federal property.

Portland has seen protests for weeks after the death of George Floyd in police custody and demonstrators have set fires, vandalized buildings and smashed windows.

Chad Wolf, the Department of  Homeland Security secretary, painted a disturbing picture in the city on “Sunday Morning Futures” and said protesters have been armed with bats, power tools and have targeted "their violence on federal courthouses and federal law enforcement officers.”

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The shooting on Sunday night would mark the second reported shooting near the protest. Authorities said one person suffered “numerous gunshot wounds” early Sunday, which occurred at the same time that police were forced to respond to another riot at the location. That victim had non-life-threatening injuries.

There has been growing criticism in the city directed toward Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, who has clashed publicly with President Trump over the deployment of federal troops in the city.

Last week, he addressed a crowd of protesters and was booed and heckled. While he spoke, protesters displayed a list of demands on the justice center that included defunding the police by at least 50 percent and free all protesters from jail.

Fox News' Brie Stimson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Get updates on this story from foxnews.com.