East Lake Street Business Owner Under Arrest After 1 Man Killed By Gunfire During George Floyd Protests
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man was shot and killed Wednesday night as protests broke out near East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. The owner of a nearby business is under arrest.
Hector Henandez captured the unrest as it unfolded in front of his restaurant.
"I start to see like thousands of people running around. Next thing you know we have probably 100 people banging on the windows throwing rocks," Hernandez said.
Somewhere in the chaos, shots rang out. Abi Baires and her employees heard the unmistakable sound.
"That was like what's happening. All of a sudden a man is running over here and he just collapsed right there in the corner," Baires said.
We're told a business owner on East Lake Street had opened fire.
"It went out of control so I can understand his fear and his pain knowing he's about to lose everything that he's worked for, for so many years. This is not how it should have been," Baires said.
People watched as officers started CPR on the seemingly lifeless man.
"They didn't want to let it go, they keep doing it, keep doing it, keep doing it. I've never seen nothing like that in my life never," Hernandez said.
The aftermath, the glass, the debris, is still on the ground. A reminder of the rioting and another life lost.
Abi says her friend George Floyd would not have wanted any of this.
"My business is going to get replaced. People are still going to come here when all this is over but to witness another Black man dying right here, and fighting for his life, which is what we're, the opposite of what we want justice for," Baires said.
The name of the man killed has not yet been released. The suspect has been arrested, but not charged.