George Floyd mural destroyed after allegedly being struck by lightning

TOLEDO, Ohio (NewsNation Now) — A George Floyd memorial crumbled Tuesday after reportedly being struck by lightning.

Toledo police told local media outlets that a bolt of lightning struck the building which caused the section of the mural containing the wall to collapse.

Other local media outlets reported that the brick façade had collapsed due to the age of the building.

Severe storms were reported Tuesday night in the area according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, Ohio.

The mural was created by local artist David Ross in July 2020 after Floyd’s death. Toledo officials said the mural will be recreated in a different location.

Floyd, 46, was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020. Chauvin was convicted of murder and sentenced last month to 22 1/2 years in prison.

Floyd’s death sparked worldwide protests and calls for change in policing in the U.S. Similar murals paying tribute to Floyd popped up across the country in the weeks after his death.

ATLANTA, GA – MAY 25: A mural of George Floyd painted downtown to memorialize the life of George Floyd is shown on the anniversary of his death on May 25, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked protests and movements around the world. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS – JUNE 10: A child views a mural dedicated to George Floyd, across the street from the Cuney Homes housing project in Houston’s Third Ward, where Floyd grew up and later mentored young men, on June 10, 2020 in Houston, Texas. George Floyd died on May 25th when he was in Minneapolis police custody, sparking nationwide protests. A white police officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder, with the three other officers involved facing other charges. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A man walks past a boarded up store front with a George Floyd mural on June 10, 2020 in New York City. – On May 25, 2020, Floyd, a 46-year-old black man suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, died in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
FILE – In this May 31, 2020 file photo, visitors make silent visits to organic memorial featuring a mural of George Floyd, near the spot where he died while in police custody, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)