Graffiti on Seven Points Parking Ramp, Minneapolis

Graffiti memorializes Winston Smith on the Seven Points Parking Ramp in Minneapolis. Smith was killed by a federal task force on June 3rd, 2021, on the top floor of this structure. The messages spray-painted on the windows and walls express grief, solidarity, and anger. On June 3, 2021, members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force fatally shot 32-year-old Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr. on the top level of a parking ramp in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood while attempting to arrest him on a felony warrant. Authorities said Smith fired a handgun from inside his vehicle during the encounter, while family members and activists questioned the official account and demanded the release of additional evidence. The killing led to weeks of protests, street occupations, and confrontations with police in Uptown, becoming another major flashpoint in Minneapolis during the period following the murder of George Floyd. Earlier in the day Minneapolis city officials along with The Agape Movement coordinated to open the streets that had been closed at George Floyd Square since his murder.