Police: Suspect threw Molotov cocktail at ice cream store 2 days in a row

A man is in custody after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at an ice cream store in Minneapolis two days in a row, police say.

Law enforcement was first called to Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Cafe on Hennepin Avenue East around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday. Police say officers on the scene noted a broken outer windowpane and burn marks near the front entrance.

Police determined that the damage happened when a man got out of a minivan and threw a lit Molotov cocktail at the building and drove away.

The business was closed at the time of the incident on Sunday night.

The next day, Minneapolis police responded to the same business just before 1 p.m. after it was reported that the same man again got out of a minivan and threw a lit Molotov cocktail before leaving.

No one was injured.

A few hours later, at 4:25 p.m., police arrested a suspect in a vehicle near 15th Avenue Southeast and Fourth Street Southeast. He was booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of arson.

Police are investigating. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Behavioral Threat Assessment Team and the MFD Arson Investigations Unit are assisting.

Minneapolis Council member Jason Chavez condemned the incident on X, posting, “I am sad to hear about Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Café being targeted in Northeast Minneapolis. The attack happened directly below a prominently displayed LGBTQIA+ flag. At a time when marginalized communities are being even more targeted than has always been the case, it is important that we as a city condemn this behavior. We must also reaffirm our commitment to equality and the safety of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors.”
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