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The panel must decide whether to indict Wilson for shooting Brown at least six times during a confrontation this summer. Some witnesses said Brown had his hands up when he was shot. The police said Wilson fired because Brown was advancing on him.

The grand jury has been working on the case since Aug. 20 -- less than two weeks after the shooting -- meeting at least once every week.

The question that the jurors had to answer was whether or not there was probable cause to believe that Wilson committed a crime when he shot Brown. If they decided that he was guilty of a crime, they could consider charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter up to first degree murder, the state prosecutor's office previously reported. The jury was also informed of the state statutes towards self-defense and the use of force by law enforcement officers.

Authorities have been preparing for the decision for days and fear that the protests could turn violent, as some did in August following Brown's death. The Ferguson-Florissant School District canceled after-school activities today because of news reports that the grand jury has reached a decision and canceled classes for Tuesday. Schools are closed for the rest of the week because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

\"PHOTO:
David Goldman/AP Photo
PHOTO: Barricades line the exterior of the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, Mo., Nov. 23, 2014.
>

The FBI sent about 100 agents to the St. Louis area to help deal with any problems that could arise from the grand jury decision. They also released a memo earlier last week warning that extremists \"will likely\" try to infiltrate the demonstrations not only in Ferguson, but elsewhere around the country, and may use the verdict as an excuse to hack public utilities and other sites.

Nixon had declared a state of emergency last week and called out the National Guard.

Michael Brown's parents have made repeated calls for peace and President Obama reiterated that message this weekend.

\"Using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to the rule of law and contrary to who we are,\" Obama said in an interview that aired Sunday.

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