Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleaded with Walmart and Target not to abandon the city after looters vandalized the big box stores.
After a conference call with Walmart and other retailers that were targeted by looters, Lightfoot said she pleaded with the retailers to reopen and not abandon Chicago.
The stores are closed indefinitely – putting hundreds of employees out of work – after looters stole merchandise and set fires inside the buildings in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“I think in the case of Walmart, what they were focused on was assessing the damage,” said Lightfoot, who added the retailers are donating “fresh produce” and other perishables that weren’t taken by looters.
There were earlier reports that Walmart would reopen all stores trashed by looters and vandals, but company officials later said some stores will remain closed permanently.
They didn’t say which neighborhoods will be affected.
