Charred body found in pawnshop that was set alight during George Floyd protests

Authorities investigated tip from public nearly two months after fire

A body has been found in the wreckage of a pawn shop in Minneapolis that was burnt to the ground during protests in reaction to the death of George Floyd.

The charred body of a man who has not yet been identified was found in Max It Pawn, nearly two months after it was set alight on 28 May, following three days of Black Lives Matter protests.

Authorities, who were investigating a tip from the public when they entered the remains of the building on Monday, found the body among the wreckage, Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder told the Star Tribune.

Mr Elder added that “the body appears to have suffered thermal injury”, and confirmed that the investigation into the fire has been taken over by Minneapolis homicide detectives.

The authorities confirmed that the name of the victim will be released in the coming days, once the autopsy has been carried out.

The pawn shop was located a few blocks from the city’s Third Precinct police station, which was also set on fire on 28 May in reaction to Mr Floyd’s death.

Protests broke out last month in Minneapolis, following his death on 25 May while in the custody of a then Minneapolis police officer.

The protests in opposition to police brutality against African Americans have taken place in every state across the US, and several shops were damaged and set alight in the first few days.

Details about the death are unclear at the moment, but a police report obtained by the Tribune indicated that the man died in the blaze at the pawn shop in late May.

Montez Terrill Lee was arrested and charged with arson last month in connection to the fire, but at this point no further charges have been made while the autopsy is carried out and a cause of death is determined.

When asked about Mr Lee, Ashlee Sherrill, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), told the Tribune that she could not comment on an open case.

She added: “The ATF is continuing to work these arson investigations across the Twin Cities and following up on these leads as they become available.”