An apparent drive-by shooting at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis was caught live by news cameras Tuesday morning, as Black Lives Matter supporters gathered to observe the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death in police hands.
Gun fire in the #Minneapolis George Floyd "Autonomous Zone" earlier pic.twitter.com/CyV6vMgh4j
— AntifaWatch (@AntifaWatch2) May 25, 2021
People in the area sheltered in place upon hearing the rain of gunfire, according to a reporter working for Associated Press Global Media Services. A vehicle was reportedly seen speeding away from the area.
Shortly after the shooting, someone showed up at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound, according to police.
“We heard a few dozens sounds of what appear to have been shots fired on this block,” AP reporter Philip Crowther tweeted. “Everyone sheltered in place. Lots of running. No apparent need for medics. Will update.”
Here’s the moment shots were fired near George Floyd Square earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/NIWRBr6b9Y
— Philip Crowther (@PhCrowther) May 25, 2021
We heard a few dozens sounds of what appear to have been shots fired on this block. Everyone sheltered in place. Lots of running. No apparent need for medics. Will update. pic.twitter.com/tpDY9etN8I
— Philip Crowther (@PhCrowther) May 25, 2021
“Consensus among reporters here at George Floyd Square was that we heard anywhere between a dozen and two dozen shots fired,” he wrote. “Very quickly things got back to normal,” Crowther said. “People here who spend a significant amount of time, the organizers, were running around asking, ‘Does anyone need a medic?’ It seems like there are no injuries.”
Later on, an activist apparently smashed the phone of another reporter who tried to take photos of a storefront hit by a bullet.
George Floyd Square, a cross of four blocks in south Minneapolis where Floyd was killed, is purportedly a “police-free autonomous zone,” created to provide “a safe and inclusive community” for Black Lives Matter supporters in Minneapolis.
Since May 25, 2020, five people have been killed in George Floyd Square, according to Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, who represents the area. “There have been a number of shootings, muggings, robberies,” she told Yahoo News.
Jenkins said the spike in crime is due to the hostility toward police from those who frequent the site.
“Police [have] been consistently met with opposition, hostility, confrontation,” she said. “So unlawful behavior has an opportunity to flourish. People who commit crimes in other parts of the city come to George Floyd Square because they feel like there will be no opposition.”
The square was being “transformed Tuesday into an outdoor festival on the anniversary of his death, with food, children’s activities and a long list of musical performers” when the shooting occurred, according to AP. The event was due to officially start at 1:00 p.m.