Did Lightning Strike George Floyd Mural

Ohio Mural Honoring George Floyd Destroyed

Conflicting Accounts of Lightning Strike

A large mural honoring the memory of George Floyd in Toledo, Ohio, has collapsed, and there are conflicting accounts about whether the cause was a lightning strike. Witnesses reported to Toledo Police that a lightning strike destroyed the mural, while city building inspector Hugh Koogan told The Toledo Blade that a preliminary investigation indicated that the mural was structurally unsound and that there was no evidence of a lightning strike.

Radar Detected Lightning Strike

Witnesses told local police and fire officials that the mural crumbled as a result of a lightning strike at around 4:30 p.m. local time, according to WTVG, a CNN affiliate. WTVG reported that its Doppler Radar detected a lightning strike on that block. However, city building inspector Hugh Koogan told The Toledo Blade, which is also a CNN affiliate, that a preliminary investigation indicated that the mural was structurally unsound and that there was no evidence of a lightning strike.

The mural was located on the side of a building at the intersection of Monroe Street and 14th Street in Toledo. It was painted by local artist Taha Clayton in June 2020, shortly after Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.