The soldiers began firing indiscriminately into the surrounding buildings. After several minutes of shooting at the camp, Sergeant Vida Henry ordered the men in the area – about 150 – to fill their canteens, grab extra ammunition, and fall in to march on Houston. The group marched through neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, firing at houses with outdoor lights. They fired on a car with two white occupants, but let a second car with black occupants pass. They marched nearly two and a half miles, all the way to the San Felipe district before they encountered any police officers. Due to the disorganization of the police department and the belief that the black soldiers would be unable to arm themselves, officers had only been sent out in small numbers, expecting to quickly subdue unarmed men. The first police casualties occurred when a group of six officers stumbled upon large numbers of armed soldiers. Two policemen (including Rufus Daniels) were killed immediately, and one later died of wounds he had sustained.