Gunshots ring out on live TV near George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on anniversary of his death
No injuries have been reported as of yet
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As many as 30 gunshots were reported a block from George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on Monday, one year to the day that Mr Floyd was murdered.
An Associated Press journalist at the scene heard the shots. The reporter said no one was reported to be injured after people standing in the square ducked for cover.
Philip Crowther from the AP was filming in the vicinity and said he heard about 30 shots being fired roughly a block away and said that a nearby shop window had been shattered due to the gunshots.
“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.”
When the AP reached out for comment to local police, no one was available to comment. The shooting occurred as news crews were doing live television hits on the anniversary of Mr Floyd’s death.
The area is dedicated as a memorial to George Floyd, the Black man who was murdered by Derek Chauvin.
Mr Floyd’s death sparked a summer of protest and conversation around racism across the world after video footage of his death was shared on social media. It showed Chauvin kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, causing Mr Floyd to suffocate, and was heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe”.
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On Tuesday, it was going to become a venue for a festival aiming to celebrate Mr Floyd’s life and feature an array of music, food, and games.
“We’re going to turn mourning into dancing,” Nur-D, a rapper, said on Twitter about the event. “We’re going to be celebrating 365 days of strength in the face of justice.”
Chauvin was found guilty in April on three counts; second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and will be sentenced on 25 June.