The 100-year-old Sacred Heart of Jesus church caught fire on Monday evening in northeast Minneapolis, with the local fire department saying that the majority of its roof had collapsed.
— Minneapolis Fire (@MinneapolisFire) April 20, 2021
It's still unclear what exactly caused the fire, but the church's chairman suggested it may have stemmed from the furnace inside the building, a journalist with a local ABC affiliate said.
Several videos of the church burning are circulating on social media.
— Preston Phillips (@PrestonTVNews) April 20, 2021
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) April 20, 2021
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) April 20, 2021
The blaze happened amid anti-racism protests that are sweeping through the Minneapolis area after an officer fatally shot young Black man Daunte Wright just 11 miles away from where George Floyd died while in custody last May. The trial of Derek Chauvin, accused of killing Floyd, 46, after kneeling on his neck for several minutes is also taking place at the moment.
