WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — Businesses in many cities around the country are picking up the pieces, quite literally, after a number of peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd turned violent.
Looters broke windows and stole merchandise – leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of damage and stolen goods.
Lawmakers like Texas Republicans Michael McCaul and John Cornyn quickly condemned the destructive behavior.
“The violence is unacceptable,” said Cornyn. “Many of these small businesses, many of them in minority neighborhoods, were struggling to survive, they have been burned to the ground or otherwise looted or damaged
Cornyn says for businesses to get justice, the people responsible need to be tracked down and prosecuted.
FBI director Christopher Wray says agents are working with local law enforcement to comb through videos and images hoping to identify the looters, who may be trying to re-sell the stolen items online.
Already, companies like Amazon and eBay are working to detect stolen goods on their sites.
The FBI says every tip is helpful and can be submitted through the FBI’s website.
