( CNN ) -- The deaths of three men who residents say were mowed down by a car while protecting businesses from looters have heightened fears in Britain 's second largest city . Jittery residents said they peer over their shoulders as they scuttle down the streets . Businesses that remained opened all night close at the first sign of darkness . And the distraught father of one of the victims , who tried desperately to revive his dying son , appealed for calm . `` Blacks , Asians , whites . We all live in the same community . Why do we have to kill one another ? '' said Tarik Jahan . `` What started these riots , and what 's escalated them ? Why are we doing this ? '' Jahan 's son , Haroon , was killed early Wednesday in Birmingham , along with two brothers , Shazad and Munir Hussein -- both in their 30s . The 21-year-old was struck by a car while he kept watch outside a gas station following a break-in , according to the father . `` I heard the thud and ran around and I saw three people on the ground . My instinct was to help the three people . I did n't know who they were ; who 'd been injured , '' he said . `` I helped the first man and somebody from behind told me my son was lying behind me . So I started CPR on my own son . '' He struggled to revive his son , his face and hands covered in blood . `` Why ? Why ? The guy who killed him drove directly into the crowd and killed three innocent guys , '' he said . `` Why ? What was the point of doing that ? I do n't understand . '' British police have not tied the deaths to the riots , but residents say the victims were among a group that lined up outside storefronts to stop rioters from breaking into properties . `` I remember passing by there a few hours before it happened , and there were lots of Asian kids , calmly watching guard outside shops , not disturbing anyone , '' said Esther Kiilu , a resident of neighboring Rowley Ridges . `` They looked like they were sons of the owners and their friends . '' Kiilu said a few hours after she got home , she saw television reports of the deaths along the street she uses daily . Residents held a vigil Wednesday night outside the gas station where the three were killed . `` It was a huge group of people , just quietly holding candles , '' Kiilu said . The victim 's father , who addressed reporters hours after his son was killed , urged rioters to end the violence . `` Step forward if you want to lose your sons , '' he said. `` Otherwise , calm down and go home . Please ! '' As soon as he finished addressing the crowd , two sides started arguing , prompting police to step in and separate the groups . `` You guys have got nothing better to do , go home , men , '' the father told the two bickering sides . A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths , which police are treating as a murder inquiry . Birmingham , like many other areas in Britain , was roiled by riots that began Saturday , spurred by the shooting death of a man who protesters said was killed by police . `` I just want things to return to normal , this has just got out of hand , '' said Hilda Siviter , who lives in Bewdley , a small town near Birmingham . `` All this trouble is being caused by a huge group of lazy guys who ca n't be bothered to go out and get a job , and they suddenly see free things and decide to take advantage , '' Siviter said Thursday . Lawmakers are concerned that rioters could use the opportunity to stir up tensions . `` What we do n't want is for other elements to now hijack what 's happened and make this something else and make this more serious , '' said Shabana Mahmood , the member of parliament for Birmingham . In addition to the three deaths in Birmingham , police on Wednesday identified a man fatally shot in a vehicle in south London as Trevor Ellis . Ellis died Tuesday , a day after he was shot in the head in Croydon , police said , without linking his death to the riots . Initial inquiries indicate he had traveled with friends to the area , where a dispute ensued with a group of nine people . The dispute led to a pursuit involving three vehicles , after which Ellis was shot , police said , appealing to witnesses to come forward . Analysts say a mix of economic and social tensions has been at play in the unrest , with deprivation a key factor . The rioters and looters have been from diverse ethnic backgrounds and span a wide range of ages . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report from Birmingham , England .
NEW : `` I started CPR on my own son , '' the victim 's father says . Resident : " What did you do? The three are killed while trying to protect local businesses from looters , residents say . British police have not tied their deaths to the riots .