Man who broke into Target corporate headquarters during unrest guilty of arson, riot
Target's corporate headquarters, boarded up in September of 2020.
A man accused of breaking into Target's headquarters after false reports regarding a suicide in downtown Minneapolis was convicted this week by a federal grand jury.
The U.S. Attorney's Office District of Minnesota said 32-year-old Victor Devon Edwards was found guilty of arson and looting in connection with his actions on Aug. 26, 2020.
Earlier that day, a man police said was a homicide suspect fatally shot himself while on Nicollet Mall. Social media posts suggested police officers had killed the man, setting off a night of clashes between large groups and law enforcement officers.
During the unrest, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Edwards — sometimes joined by two other co-defendants — "engaged in acts of rioting, looting, and other property damage."
He and Shador Tommie Cortez Jackson, who pleaded guilty in January, stole women's purses and other items from Saks Off Fifth starting around 9 p.m. A couple hours later, Edwards used a construction sign to break into Target's headquarters at 1000 Nicollet Mall. Jacksin started a fire while inside, and Edwards added fuel to it, authorities say.
At one point, the charges state, someone texted Edwards to ask him what he was doing downtown, and he replied: “Lootin'.”
A federal grand jury convicted Edwards on one count each of arson and riot after a four-day trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.
