Richfield Man Sentenced to Prison for Arson of Target Corporation Headquarters

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Richfield man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiring to commit arson of the Target Corporation's headquarters building.

According to court documents, on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, Minneapolis experienced arson, rioting, and looting in response to false rumors regarding police involvement in the death of a murder suspect. After law enforcement released video footage demonstrating that the rumor was clearly false, Shador Tommie Cortez Jackson, 24, gathered with other rioters downtown. Jackson joined a crowd outside Target Corporation's corporate headquarters building located at 1000 Nicollet Mall ('Target Headquarters'). Jackson used a construction sign to break through the glass doors into the building. After breaching the doors and entering the building, Jackson intentionally set a fire on a counter inside the mailroom. Jackson also attempted to light a second fire in the mailroom on top of cardboard boxes using a lighter and a bottle of ignitable liquid.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced the defendant.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Richfield Police Departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea A. Walcker, Alexander D. Chiquoine, and Joseph S. Teirab prosecuted the case.