Gravity Gaming Lounge looted in Kenosha forced to close
'We will not be able to come back from this,' the store said in a Facebook post
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A video game lounge that was looted and badly damaged during unrest in Kenosha, Wis., will shut down, its owners said this week.
The Gravity Gaming Lounge announced the move in a Facebook post Monday. The store sustained around $20,000 in damage to its floor, windows, and other areas, according to another post.
"For those that heard. We got looted. Everything in the store was taken and the place was destroyed," the post reads. "For a business that was struggling to get back to normal and pushing through these hard times we will not be able to come back from this. The damage to our building and the cost to replace the exterior damage and to top it off to replace everything stolen is going to be catastrophic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KENOSHA RIOTERS TARGET CAR DEALERSHIPS, OTHER BUSINESSES IN SECOND NIGHT OF UNREST
The Gravity Gaming Lounge in Kenosha, Wis., announced it will close permanently after suffering damage and looting during unrest after the police shooting of a Black man. (Google Maps)
"As we look to see the total costs, at this point we will be closing down completely," the post continued.
In addition to the damage, several high-priced gaming consoles and equipment were stolen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We also estimate our loss of operating equipment to be roughly $20,000 our break down comes from: 8 Xbox one S and 8 PS4 pros as all our consoles were stolen," the company said in a second Facebook post.
"Our game collection for both consoles were roughly about $10,000 and we had 8 damaged monitors beyond repair, 2 PC setups completely stolen along with several mouse and keyboard setups. We also lost 2 Nintendo switches and all games associated with the console and 2 Game Pro Controllers."
Messages and calls to the business from Fox News were not immediately returned.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A protester lights a cigarette on a garbage truck that was set on fire during protests late Monday in Kenosha, Wis., sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha Police officer a day earlier. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The looting came during two nights of clashes between protesters and police following the shooting of a 29-year-old Black man by White police officers over the weekend. The incident ignited a wave of unrest similar to what other cities have experienced over the summer after police shootings involving unarmed Black people.
Jacob Blake was apparently shot multiple times Sunday during an encounter with Kenosha police. Cellphone video appeared to show Blake attempting to get into an SUV when an officer fired several shots from behind. Blake was hit in the back.
He reportedly was trying to break up a fight when authorities were called. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police clash with protesters near the Kenosha County Courthouse on Monday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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Blake was taken to a hospital and listed as serious. Protests erupted in the city hours after the shooting, resulting in vandalism and looting. The violence prompted Gov. Tony Evers to deploy the National Guard on Monday.
The extra manpower had no effect as demonstrators set fires and clashed with police Monday night. The number of Guard members increased from 125 to 250 Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are assessing the damage to state property and will be increasing the presence of the Wisconsin National Guard to ensure individuals can exercise their right safely, protect state buildings and critical infrastructure, and support first responders and firefighters," Evers said of the troop increase.