(WCCO) Minnesota based Target announced that they will be closing 24 stores in the Twin Cities metro area during the civil unrest in the area that brought fires, looting, and mayhem in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Floyd died following an arrest where a cop kept his knee pressed on his neck for at least seven minutes.
The company said in a statement:
"We are heartbroken by the death of George Floyd and the pain it is causing our community. At this time, we have made the decision to close a number of our stores until further notice. Our focus will remain on our team members’ safety and helping our community heal."
The affected stores are:
North St. Paul
West St. Paul
East St. Paul
St. Paul Highland Park
St. Paul Midway
Minneapolis Northeast
Minneapolis Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis Lake Street
Minneapolis Dinkytown
Minneapolis Uptown
Oakdale
Roseville
Brooklyn Park
Knollwood
St. Louis Park
Crystal
Eden Prairie
Shoreview
Fridley
Richfield
Burnsville
Bloomington
Apple Valley
Apple Valley South
Videos show the Minneapolis Lake Street Target location was looted and destroyed on Wednesday night. On Thursday, protesters took over the St. Paul Midway Target's parking lot and attacked police with rocks and other debris.
Minneapolis has seen both peaceful and violent protests in the days since the killing of George Floyd during an arrest by Minneapolis Police. Protesters made their way through St. Paul and its suburbs on Thursday afternoon.