Black DC business owner hit by looters has ‘mixed feelings’

The Black & White Look Optical eyewear store in Northwest. (Courtesy Jessica McClain)

As looters targeted businesses in D.C. during severe unrest that broke out in the early morning hours Monday over George Floyd’s death, one business on U Street was hit particularly hard.

The Black & White Look Optical eyewear store in Northwest lost 90% of its inventory and items inside were smashed.

“Every single showcase was glass,” said owner Jessica McClain. “They pretty much used bricks and hammers.”

McClain has her security camera hooked up to her phone so she was able to watch the looting happen in real time.

“It was a very sad moment,” she said.

McClain is now waiting to hear from her insurance company and says it will take at least a couple of weeks for her business to get back up and running.

In the meantime, she launched an online fundraiser, hoping to speed up the process.

“My shelves are all empty,” McClain said.

The looting happened during nationwide protests that followed after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, who is African American, was killed when a white police officer put a knee on his neck as he was being taken into custody.

As a business who is black, McClain shared her thoughts on why the destruction happened.

“There is a bigger issue,” McClain said. “I’m raising a black son, so I really had a lot of mixed feelings. These items can be replaced so I have to look at the bigger picture.”

Nick Iannelli

Nick Iannelli can be heard covering developing and breaking news stories on WTOP.

Members of the D.C. National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial monitoring demonstrators during a peaceful protest Tuesday. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Troops load up into personnel carriers to head into downtown D.C. along East Capitol Street near the Armory on Tuesday. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Mike DeAngelo got up on a lamppost and spoke to the crowd on Tuesday night. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
An aid station with milk, water and other items for protesters is set up on a corner just north of Lafayette Square. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards near Lafayette park accross the White House on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. - Anti-racism protests have put several US cities under curfew to suppress rioting, following the death of George Floyd in police custody. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards near Lafayette park accross the White House on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. – Anti-racism protests have put several US cities under curfew to suppress rioting, following the death of George Floyd in police custody. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, USA - JUNE 2: People hold banners during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States on June 2, 2020 in Washington, United States. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, USA – JUNE 2: People hold banners during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States on June 2, 2020 in Washington, United States. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Late Tuesday afternoon, protesters gathered at the newly installed fence around Lafayette Park. (WTOP/Ken Duffy)
Tuesday afternoon more protesters gathered north of Lafayette Park. (WTOP/Ken Duffy)
With the White House in the background, a line of police forms behind a fence in Lafayette Park as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump visits Saint John Paul II National Shrine with first lady Melania Trump, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
A demonstrator sits in front of police as people gather to protest the death of George Floyd, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
People including Kevin Antlitz, an Anglican priest, left, take a knee during a protest of the visit of President Donald Trump to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Washington. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
Sister Quincy Howard, center, a Dominican nun, protests the arrival of President Donald Trump to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Washington. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
Signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Killing Black People” hang on an overpass on North Capitol Street in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, following days of continuing protests over the death of George Floyd. (AP/Andrew Harnik)
People hold signs as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s motorcade passes on their way to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, to lay a ceremonial wreath and observe a moment of remembrance under the Statue of Saint John Paul II on June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (AFP via Getty Images/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)
A man walks past a boarded up shop after the unrest from the past few nights in downtown D.C. on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
Troops load up into personnel carriers to take them toward the city from the Joint Force Headquarters of the D.C. National Guard on June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Drew Angerer)
Protesters hold signs as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s motorcade passes on their way to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine to lay a ceremonial wreath and observe a moment of remembrance under the Statue of Saint John Paul II on June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (AFP via Getty Images/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)
D.C. National Guard vehicles are staged in front of the Ronald Reagan Building as the city braces for more demonstrations and protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Win McNamee)
A man holds a sign as he dresses as Abraham Lincoln during a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in response to the death of George Floyd while under police custody June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, where President Donald Trump planned a visit, in response to the death of George Floyd while under police custody June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, where President Donald Trump planned a visit, in response to the death of George Floyd while under police custody June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, where President Donald Trump planned a visit, in response to the death of George Floyd while under police custody June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Demonstrators stage a protest near the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in response to the death of George Floyd while under police custody as the motorcade of President Donald Trump leaves after his visit June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
A sign is seen as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s motorcade passes on their way to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine to lay a ceremonial wreath and observe a moment of remembrance under the Statue of Saint John Paul II on June 2, 2020 in Washington,D.C. (AFP via Getty Images/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)
A Wells Fargo Bank near the White House is boarded up, after the unrest from the past few nights, in downtown D.C. on June 2, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
A member of a D.C. government cleaning crew cleans a street near the White House in the morning hours on June 2, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Secret Service agents arrest a man along Constitution Avenue near the White House in the morning as protests continue over the death of George Floyd in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Andrew Harnik)
Ericka Ward-Audena, of Washington, puts her hand on her daughter Elle Ward-Audena, 7, as they take a knee in front of a police line during a protest of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Washington. “I wanted my daughter to see the protests, it’s really important. I’ve gotten a million questions from her because of it,” says Ward-Audena, “I think the most egregious statement was ‘when they start looting, we start shooting.’ That crossed a line for me.” Protests continue over the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
Workers carry large wood boards past the historical St. John’s Episcopal Church across Lafayette Park from the White House in the morning hours in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (AP/Andrew Harnik)
Security forces block the road as protesters gather near Lafayette Park ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to St. John’s Church in Washington, on June 2, 2020. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Anadolu Agency)
Security forces block the road as protesters gather near Lafayette Park ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to St. John’s Church in Washington, June 2, 2020. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Anadolu Agency)
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Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards near Lafayette park accross the White House on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. - Anti-racism protests have put several US cities under curfew to suppress rioting, following the death of George Floyd in police custody. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, USA - JUNE 2: People hold banners during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States on June 2, 2020 in Washington, United States. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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