Getty This photo shows damage to the AutoZone in Minneapolis.
Fire officials say they responded to 16 structure fires on the evening of May 27, 2020 as unrest erupted in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota over the death of George Floyd. That’s only the beginning of the damage, though, as other businesses were looted but not burned. Damaged businesses included a local Target store, a Cub Food store, and smaller businesses like Town Talk Diner.
Below you can see a list of some of the looted and burned businesses, along with photos and videos showing the damage. In addition to the 16 structure fires, the fire chief said in a news conference that firefighters went on several other fire-related runs.
Medaria Arradondo, the police chief, expressed sorrow for the devastation caused to Floyd’s family and the community by his death. He said, though, that he won’t allow the destruction of businesses, calling them “vital to the health of our community.” The mayor, Jacob Frey, echoed that sentiment, saying that the city’s businesses are “essential pieces for our community that we’re going to need.”
In this strip, no business is spared. Nearly every window smashed. I’ve seen cars packed to the brim with looted goods. Store security alarming won’t stop chirping.
Outside one pawn and jewelry shop, a man lost his life to a gunshot wound. The Cadillac Pawn & Jewelry owner, John Rieple, is in custody on a murder accusation, and police say they’re investigating whether he shot and killed a suspected looter as one of several theories for the man’s death. They wouldn’t describe the others.
There were also burnt cars in the streets.
Here’s a list of some of the property damage as of May 28, 2020.
Dollar Tree
How you rob the dollar tree, literally everything is a dollar 😂😂
Several Dollar Tree stores were reportedly damaged.
Wendy’s Restaurant
The Wendy’s Restaurant was completely destroyed, according to photos.
Target
The scene outside of Target, which company officials decided to close earlier in the day.
Numerous videos showed the Target store was looted.
While protests over George Floyd’s death carry on outside in Minnesota, people begin to pile into Target leaving items broken and scattered across the store.
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Target is getting cleaned out
Town Talk Diner
Miguel Otárola, a Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter, wrote on Twitter, “Charles Stotts took me inside Town Talk Diner, which he has owned on Lake Street for four years. It’s destroyed.”
Charles Sotts, the co-owner, told the Star Tribune, “I, as much as anybody, understand the need for the protest that was happening, and I, as much as anybody, understand the degree of anger and the degree of frustration and everything that was happening — because I was angry and I was frustrated with it, too. I just don’t understand how that spills over into buildings. How does the rage turn to our small little community businesses? I won’t ever understand.”
“We have no words. Godspeed, Minneapolis,” the diner wrote on its Facebook page.
Minnehaha Lake Wine and Spirits, Minneapolis
Minnehaha Lake Wine and Spirits, Minneapolis
The store was looted, pictures show.
Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits being looted.
Minnehaha Lake Wine and Spirits is a family owned small business that provides jobs for the local community. The people looting this store are doing their community a great disservice. #GeorgeFloyd
An Affordable Housing Development
The affordable housing development is gone. Wendy’s, too. AutoZone, a husk.
Cub Foods
This journalist captured the inside of Cub Foods:
The owners of this Cub gave me permission to show the damage inside
Apple Store
Looting moving to uptown. CVS, timberland, Apple store, jewelry store, liquor store all being looted
Footlocker
Cadillac Pawn & Jewelry
This is the store where police say they are investigating whether the owner shot and killed a suspected looter, among other theories. Videos from the scene also show that it was looted.
Gandhi Mahal restaurant
Some businesses like Gandhi Mahal have put up signs that they are minority owned, in hopes of not being looted. Still windows broken.
Photographer Tony Webster wrote of the Gandhi Mahal restaurant, “Gandhi Mahal restaurant, with a ‘minority owned’ banner on it, appears to have only broken glass.”
U.S. Bank
US Bank on Lake Street in Minneapolis
Both a U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo building suffered damage.
Graffiti was scrawled on the U.S. Bank building.
ICC Wireless Cell Phone Store
AutoZone
Videos showed the damage to the AutoZone.
According to Carlos Gonzalez, a Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter: “A fire was started at AutoZone. Some protesters attempted to extinguish it some posed for photos.”
A fire was started at AutoZone. Some protesters attempted to extinguish it some posed for photos.
There was a major fire at the AutoZone.
The fire at AutoZone seems to have started back up; there are least five separate fires going, of varying sizes.
CVS
CVS in Uptown Minneapolis. Cars still arriving at 5:15am and taking stuff by the carload.
There was a clean-up effort underway.
There’s a massive cleanup effort happening right now:
Police Precinct
Protesters are looting Target, AutoZone, and Dollar Tree across the street from this police precinct.
They are now also attacking the Precinct itself.
Birchwood Cafe
See more damaged businesses here.
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