Video: Gunshots heard near George Floyd square on anniversary of death

MINNEAPOLIS (NewsNation Now) — The Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd died was disrupted by gunfire Tuesday morning, hours before it was to be the site of a family-friendly street festival marking the anniversary of his death.

Video obtained from the Associated Press filmed on 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — informally known as George Floyd Square — showed people running and seeking cover as shots rang out. Police said a man later showed up at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Police spokesman John Elder said authorities believe he was injured in the shooting at the square. He was in critical condition but was expected to survive.

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Philip Crowther, a reporter working for AP Global Media Services, which provides live video coverage to customers, reported hearing as many as 30 gunshots about a block east of the intersection. Crowther said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by a gunshot.

“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.”

Police said in a release that they responded to reports of gunfire at about 10:10 a.m. local time in the 3800 block of Elliot Ave. South. Callers told police that a vehicle was seen speeding away from the area. Elder said no one was in custody by midday Tuesday.

Photos taken after the shots fired show broken windows outside a barbershop as people tried to clean up the shattered glass.

The South Minneapolis intersection has been barricaded since after George Floyd’s death and quickly turned into a memorial — and also a challenging spot for the city, with police officers not always welcome.

NewsNation gained an exclusive look inside the George Floyd Memorial ‘autonomous zone,’ a space where outsiders aren’t always welcomed in March.

NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin was confronted and threatened by two people inside the zone. The video went viral.

“We tried to respectfully get video – but left after two people confronted us near the barricades. Later learned many protesters don’t even feel comfortable there,” Entin said on Twitter.

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.

“We’re going to be turning mourning into dancing,” rapper Nur-D tweeted. “We’re going to be celebrating 365 days of strength in the face of injustice.”

The 46-year-old Black man was arrested Memorial Day 2020 by four police officers after being accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a Minneapolis corner grocery store. Floyd died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee of Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes while he was handcuffed and pleading that he couldn’t breathe.

Last month, a jury convicted Chauvin on all charges related to Floyd’s death including second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

The “Rise and Remember George Floyd” celebration, including a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m., caps several days of marches, rallies and panel discussions about his death and where America is in confronting racial discrimination.

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Reporting by Doug Glass of the Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report.