MINNEAPOLIS — Officials found a body Monday morning while digging through burned debris of the MaX It PAWN building on East Lake Street in Minneapolis.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, Minneapolis police and fire were being assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the State Fire Marshal Division when they located a dead body of what is believed to be an adult man. Officials are investigating the incident as a homicide.
The fire happened during the civil unrest and rioting that followed George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody.
On June 11, a man was charged with setting the fire at the location, but no charges have been filed in connection to the victim's death.
The identity of the victim, along with the cause of death, will be released by the Medical Examiner's Office.
The ATF released a statement Monday, saying it is working in "close coordination" with the Minneapolis Police Department in relation to the discovery.
The statement continued, "It is an open investigation and we’re not at liberty to share further information at this time. ATF continues to work with our local, state and federal partners on the arson investigations throughout the Twin Cities and is following up on leads as they become available. The public is still encouraged to come forward with information they feel could aid in the arson investigations by emailing ATFTips@atf.gov.”
