Century-old church burns in Minneapolis amid protests ahead of the verdict in Chauvin's trial

The one of the oldest churches in northeast Minneapolis has partially collapsed in the result of the 3-alarm fire that burst amid the revised protests ahead of a jury verdict in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.

Sacred Heart of Jesus church, which is across town from the courthouse where Chauvin’s trial process was held, caught fire on Monday evening and it remains unknown what started the blaze.

When the firefighters with the Minneapolis Fire Department responded to the call at the church, they reported that the majority of the roof had collapsed.  The collapse happened at about 9 p.m. local time.

The footages from the scene were circulating online and on local media. The videos show the firefighters battle the sizable flames from ladders above the building.

It has not been confirmed that the fire is somehow connected to the ongoing protests at the Hennepin County Courthouse, which is about a 12-minute drive or a one-hour walk from the church.

A church chairman suggested the fire might have stemmed from the furnace inside the building, according to a journalist with a local ABC affiliate.

 

Photo: YouTube screenshot