After a dangerous night that saw numerous businesses looted, individuals assaulted while trying to stop the looting, and cars and buildings left burned out from fires that raged through most of the night, new reports indicate the looting is continuing well into Thursday afternoon in Minnesota.
Political Reporter Ricardo Lopez went back to Minneapolis on Thursday and discovered a large police presence in St. Paul, which shares a metropolitan area with Minneapolis, as well as active looting and evidence of recent looting.
“I’m in St. Paul where there’s a heavy police presence near University Avenue and Snelling, next to the soccer stadium,” wrote Lopez on Twitter. “I’m seeing more evidence of looting today.”
DEVELOPING: I’m in St. Paul where there’s a heavy police presence near University Avenue and Snelling, next to the soccer stadium. I’m seeing more evidence of looting today. I’m just arriving on scene.
— Ricardo Lopez (@rljourno) May 28, 2020
After finding a place to safely park his vehicle and begin reporting on the ground, Lopez immediately discovered a CVS pharmacy that appeared to have recently been looted.
Noting that police were appearing to protect the local stadium, Lopez noted that “The CVS on University Avenue and Snelling is already damaged.”
I’m arriving to scene in St Paul. The CVS on University Avenue and Snelling is already damaged. pic.twitter.com/BV6neuAgaG
— Ricardo Lopez (@rljourno) May 28, 2020
As Lopez continued walking through the area, which he says is miles away from the scene of last night’s widespread looting, he witnessed looting of a pawn shop in progress.
Lopez also noted that “University Avenue is a busy commercial corridor” with a “Target nearby.”
“So many businesses here. This is already off to a bad start today,” wrote Lopez.
University Avenue is a busy commercial corridor. Target nearby. So many businesses here. This is already off to a bad start today. I am miles away from the scene of last night’s devastation
— Ricardo Lopez (@rljourno) May 28, 2020
Last night a Target store was looted during the protest-turned-riot, making national headlines.
Video footage shows rioters in Minneapolis looting and vandalizing a Target grocery store, presumably to protest against alleged racism in the local police department.
The crowd, which primarily consists of young black protestors but includes some white men, can be seen throwing objects at the outside of the Target, and manhandling vending machines in an unsuccessful attempt to tip them over.
Other rioters can be seen scuttling away from the entrance and into the parking lot with shopping carts and arms heavily laden with consumer electronics and household wares. One woman appears to be trying to maneuver a large floor rug across the sidewalk.
Another man was shot dead by a pawn shop owner last night after he allegedly attempted to loot the store.
Looting and rioting continued into the night, resulting in widespread destruction and devastation that led some Twitter users to wonder whether Minneapolis had been “nuked.”
