'It's stressful times:' Kenosha residents on edge following police shooting, unrest
KENOSHA, Wis. - The Kenosha community has been at the center of unrest and violence that has escalated over the past few days, sparked by the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday, Aug. 23.
As the world watches the city, a pair of fathers who have lived there for nearly two decades are keeping an eye on their families.
"We're holding up OK so far. I've got two young children, they're 11 and 12, and they're scared and they're nervous, and they don't really quite understand what's going on," said Kevin Mathewson, a former Kenosha alderman.
Kevin Rose, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, served his country and has served the Kenosha community for two decades.
"Last night was very stressful. My most precious cargo is my family, and I'll do anything I can to protect my family," Rose said. "If that involves me staying up all night to watch over my house then I'll do so."
Debris from unrest that followed the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha
Mathewson and Rose live in a neighborhood a few miles from downtown Kenosha. Even so, the unrest that has taken place there has made its way to their homes.
"It's stressful times, I never thought I'd live in a world where we would have curfews," said Rose.
"It's hard for us as parents to explain to them that it's not safe to go in certain areas, we can't go downtown to get ice cream today," Mathewson said.
Mathewson said the anxiety over the situation has gotten so bad, he now feels the need to open-carry.
"That's something I've never done in public before, I've never felt the need," said Mathewson. "Now that we have a situation where we're under attack in our own homes, in our own community, that's the only way I really feel safe right now -- and that's sad."
Multiple buildings set on fire during 2nd night of unrest in Kenosha
As for Rose, the violence happening a few miles away has made him take a different approach.
"It's gone from a beautiful place, downtown, to a war zone. And because of that, it's not something that I want my kids to be a part of," Rose said.
Neither man claims to be city ambassadors, but their message is one of unity: stop the violence, be heard and be safe.
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