Looters Target Brooklyn Center Businesses Following Officer-Related Shooting
The Brooklyn Center fatal officer-involved shooting sparked looting and civil unrest Sunday night into Monday morning. More than 20 businesses in Brooklyn Center were hit by looters.
During Monday morning, there was heavy police and National Guard presence at the Single Creek Crossing shopping center. The National Guard kept the peace, while businesses cleaned up and boarded up their buildings.
At Icon Beauty Supply, at Shingle Creek Crossing, every step inside consisted of shattered glass and ruined products.
“Sad moment. It took a while to build the store, everything was ground up,” said Brian Yi, owner of Icon Beauty Supply.
Yi watched the devastation unfold through his store cameras on his phone Sunday night. Yi drove by his business Sunday night.
Icon Beauty Supply aftermath of looting.
A short distance away, GameStop and UPS were also vandalized, but this time there’s evidence bullet holes.
“It’s a sad situation especially for people that work to get their businesses going,” said James Leman, owner of Hero’s Barbershop.
Hero’s Barbershop is next door to GameStop.
“We were out here in the parking lot watching,” said Leman. “A couple people tried to hit us, we directed them off like “this is our shop.”
Hero’s Barbershop next door to damaged GameStop.
More than 20 businesses were damaged. A Brooklyn Park resident expressed her disbelief as she stood looking at the devastation in the parking lot.
“We have to live, we have to pay bills, take care of business and this is not right. This is absolutely not right, not at all,” said a Brooklyn Park resident, who did not wish to be identified.
The resident added that she hopes protestors can deal with their grief in another way.
“I’m heartbroken about how things are being handled now. It’s beginning to be terrible, beyond terrible,” she said.
