Visibility was poor after the light went out.

Crowds were moving in darkness.

Anger had been building for days.

Several Klansmen suffered minor gunshot injuries, according to North Carolina historical sources, and other people were hurt in the chaos.

But no one died.

That fact shaped everything that followed.

Law enforcement could restore order without a funeral becoming the next political crisis.

The press could focus on the Klan’s humiliation.

The Lumbee could celebrate without mourning a community member killed in the confrontation.

The state could prosecute Klan leadership without the case becoming a homicide investigation.