Civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent family of man killed by Minneapolis pawnshop owner

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Monday that he is representing the family of a man shot to death by a pawnshop owner in Minneapolis in the aftermath of the officer-involved homicide of George Floyd.

Calvin Horton was shot outside Cadillac Pawn by John Rieple after two days of arson, looting and protesting that followed Floyd's killing by police on May 25. Horton's was considered the only death resulting from the civil unrest following Floyd's death until the recent discovery of a second body in the rubble of a different pawnshop, which is under investigation.

Rieple, of Galesville, Wis., was arrested but hasn't been charged. He said that Horton was a looter, and the case remains under investigation, said Police Department spokesman John Elder.

Neither police nor county prosecutors have publicly described Horton as a looter, though they acknowledge that it was one of the theories they are investigating.

Horton's family and community activists scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon in front of the pawnshop at 1538 E. Lake Street. A vigil will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. The family will be demanding that charges be filed against Rieple and that police release any surveillance of the incident.

In a statement, Crump said family and activists have video from social media showing that Rieple was safely in his business while shooting out into the crowd. Horton died of shotgun wounds of the chest and upper extremities, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.

Crump also represents Floyd's family. Four Minneapolis police officers have been charged in his death.

Horton's 44th birthday would have been Tuesday. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help support Horton's seven children.

Horton lived in the Twin Cities, but had no permanent address, according to family members. He was unemployed and received Social Security disability payments, they said.

Rieple started Cadillac Pawn in 1990. At one time, he owned a pawnshop and a jewelry store in Winona and, in 2002, a business called Mainstream Firearms and Marine, also in Winona. He also once operated a pawnshop in La Crosse.

This story has been updated to reflect the discovery Monday of a second corpse in the rubble of a different pawnshop.

David Chanen • 612-673-4465