Kenosha business owners reflect on civil unrest 2 years after shooting of Jacob Blake

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Tuesday marks a somber anniversary in the city of Kenosha. It's been two years since a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, leaving him paralyzed.

The shooting sparked civil unrest throughout Kenosha and much of the nation.

On Tuesday, Kenosha residents are remembering the damage left behind and the fight for justice they say is still happening.

Business owners in Kenosha told CBS 58 community means everything to them, and even after the shooting and unrest, they say their city will remain "Kenosha strong."

Memories of Aug. 23, 2020 are still fresh in the minds of those that call Kenosha home.

"Kind of watched everything go down and watch it all burn and watch our town burn for days," said Tricia Betancourt, a mom of two and local Kenosha barber.

Betancourt said she's been an owner of Faded Barbershop for Men for the past four years, and when the civil unrest broke out in the summer of 2020, she was fearful she wouldn’t have a shop to come back to.

"Waiting every night to see if things were set on fire and you didn’t know whose building or business was going to be affected," said Betancourt.

Two years later, Betancourt says she's worries there hasn't been enough progress to support the business that stayed throughout the unrest.

"It's still kind of a up in the air thing, if we'll stay here, you know. Is this our best bet anymore? And you know two years prior it was," said Betancourt.

Tuesday the family of Jacob Blake spoke out, saying they are still looking for justice.

"We haven’t gotten justice for Jacob Blake; we continue to fight. We are trying to get her to let us go up to D.C. to let us reopen this case, so we can get justice for Jacob Blake," said Justin Blake, Jacob Blake's uncle.

While that search for justice continues, at Faded Barbershop for Men, there's still hope for a better tomorrow.