Downtown Minneapolis Vandalism: Burnsville Man Charged

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Burnsville man is one of 26 people who were charged with a felony in connection with widespread vandalism that occurred Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis. Hanz Williams, 23, faces a charge of third-degree burglary.

On Aug. 27, officers at Second Avenue South and South Tenth Street saw people leaving a nearby restaurant. Williams crawled out of the broken front glass door holding a metal container filled with bottles of alcohol, police said.

If convicted, Williams faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a $10,000 fine.

Civil unrest sparked by misinformation

Vandalism that Wednesday night began after a man fatally shot himself. There were unsubstantiated claims made on social media that police shot him.

In a rare move, the city quickly released video of the graphic incident on social media, citing the need to quell rumors and end the civil unrest. The video was taken down Thursday morning.

Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey both condemned the vandals in late-night news conferences and told people downtown that they must return home.

A total of 132 people were arrested by multiple agencies on various offenses that included riot, burglary, damage to property and curfew. Vandals damaged dozens of businesses downtown and in the Loring Park neighborhood.

Read more:

• Photos: Downtown Minneapolis Recovers After Wednesday's Vandalism
• Vietnamese Restaurant Owner Decries 'Heartbreaking' Vandalism
• 10 More People Charged In Downtown Minneapolis Vandalism