Surveillance footage capturing a group of men breaking into a pawn shop around the same time of the killing of a retired police captain attempting to prevent looting was released by St. Louis authorities Friday.

The video shows seven "persons of interest" running into Lee's Pawn & Jewelry on Tuesday during a night of widespread looting and rioting following a mostly peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd. The men all have their faces covered -- six with masks and one with another covering.

One man takes off his mask and puts his left hand to his mouth. Authorities believe he may have cut himself.

GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS: RIOTERS TARGET POLICE ACROSS US; 4 SHOT IN ST. LOUIS, 1 IN VEGAS, BRONX HIT-AND-RUN CAUGHT ON VIDEO

At least two of the men were armed with handguns. The video runs from 2:13 a.m. to 2:17 a.m.

David Dorn, 77, was found dead from a gunshot to the torso around 2:30 a.m. Prior to working security at the pawn shop, he served as a police captain with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and a police chief in nearby Moline Acres. He retired in 2014 after more than 40 years in law enforcement.

“They called him ‘Cap.’ That was the Cap. That was the Cap, everybody knows that was him,” Dorn's son, Brian Powell, told Fox2Now, adding that “police work ran through his veins.”

Investigators said Dorn was killed responding to a burglar alarm at the shop. He often checked on the store, which is owned by a friend.

“David Dorn was exercising law enforcement training that he learned here,” St Louis Police Chief John Hayden said.

His death occurred during a night in the city that saw looting and property damage following protests over the May 25 death of Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.

David Dorn, a retired police captain, was protecting a friend's pawn shop on June 2 when he was killed. Authorities released security video Friday showing seven persons of interest who entered the shop prior around the time Dorn was killed. (Missouri Department of Public Safety)

David Dorn, a retired police captain, was protecting a friend's pawn shop on June 2 when he was killed. Authorities released security video Friday showing seven persons of interest who entered the shop prior around the time Dorn was killed. (Missouri Department of Public Safety)

Dorn was found on a sidewalk in front of the shop. A Facebook Live video captured some of his last moments.

Powell said if Dorn was still alive, he would have shown empathy toward his attacker.

“My dad, he is a forgiving soul. So he would have forgiven that person and try to talk to them because he was real big on trying to talk to youth and mentoring young people as well,” he said. “He was trying to get them on the straight and narrow and everything."

President Trump weighed in on Dorn's death earlier this week, saying he was "viciously shot and killed by despicable looters" and that "we honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before.”

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Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is asked to contact St. Louis homicide detectives. A $45,000 reward is being offered by Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest.