( CNN ) -- Ferguson , Missouri , has been in the national spotlight since Saturday when 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a local police officer . Witnesses said the teen was unarmed ; police say that he had tried to get an officer 's gun . Outrage quickly followed the shooting as many in the town charged that the killing was racially motivated . The teenager was black . The officer has not yet been identified publicly . Turmoil has broken out , dozens have marched in the street and tensions are high . As the story continues to develop , here 's a quick look at its backdrop -- Ferguson , a suburb in the shadow of St. Louis : . 1 . Are racial tensions getting worse ? Antonio French is a St. Louis alderman who lives near Ferguson . He told CNN on Monday that racial tensions in the suburb are n't unique to Ferguson but part of a larger and wider frustration that has been worsening over time in the area -- a notion that a Washington Post article explores . `` What 's happening in Ferguson is n't different from a lot of municipalities out here in St. Louis County ... small municipalities that have large African-American population and very few black police officers , '' French said , adding that there is a disconnect between the people and those who police them . `` Tensions have been rising for years and years , '' he said . Ferguson is a predominately black community with a mostly white police force . Only three of the city 's 53 officers are African-American . It 's a statistic Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson says he 's working to improve . He told CNN that racial profiling is `` strictly forbidden . '' `` We actually have mandatory racial profiling training that we have to take to be certified , '' he said . `` Racial profiling is against our policies . It actually benefits nothing . '' 2. Who lives in Ferguson ? According to the most recent census , 67 % of Ferguson 's community is black ; 29 % is white ; there is less than 1 % Asian and Native American . A little more than 1 % of the population is Hispanic or Latino . Its residents are mostly young ; the average age is 31 . Median household income is about $ 37,000 . Twenty two percent of people in Ferguson live below the poverty line . 3 . Where is it ? About 10 miles north of downtown St. Louis , Ferguson is one of many cities that comprise St. Louis County . The first thing you see when you click on the Ferguson city website is a community family fun fair happening this weekend in the St. Louis suburb of 22,400 and a video that promises to describe the town . Bluesy , folksy music plays while a camera pans down well-trimmed streets dotted with large homes . 4 . What do its leaders say ? `` Everyone knows everyone . Everyone feels like they 're comfortable no matter who they are , '' Councilman Dwayne James says in the video . Mayor James Knowles describes the businesses that are flourishing -- new lofts , a farmer 's market , a brew-and-coffee house . He hopes they will help bring people to the city and encourage them to stay , including the younger crowd from nearby University of Missouri-St. Louis . `` The whole city is kind of like the bar in 'Cheers . ' You know , it 's the place where everybody knows your name , '' Knowles says . 5 . What 's the city 's history ? William B. Ferguson founded the city in 1894 as a station for a railroad . Ferguson is proud of its history . `` Historic preservation is a big part of what we do in Ferguson because it 's one of those resources that can not be replicated . You can always rebuild a house but you can not rebuild the integrity and the history that is in some of our historic homes and some of our historic buildings . And so maintaining that 's always been a big part of Ferguson , '' the mayor says in the video . What we know about Michael Brown 's shooting . Teen was two days away from starting college . Opinion : How many unarmed people have to die ? CNN 's Tristan Smith contributed to this report .
NEW : Three of the city 's 53 officers are African-American . 67 % of Ferguson 's population is black ; 29 % is white . It 's about 10 miles north of downtown St. Louis . Mayor : `` It 's the place where everybody knows your name ''