It’s Black Friday which means some people are ready to charge their credit card, spend their holiday bonus, and do anything it takes to get the hottest discounts. Whether it‘s camping outside stores until they open, or sprinting to be the first one in the store - people are committed. Unfortunately the day that falls after Thanksgiving has ended in disaster over the years. It got its name from police officers who used it to describe the shopping traffic and mayhem that occurred two days after Thanksgiving and according to the Hustle, between 2006 and 2018, 44 Black Friday incidents in America left 11 dead and 109 injured. Here are 5 Black Friday disasters ranging from injury to death to remind you to be kind this year.
Pepper Spray Sally
In 2011 several black Friday shoppers in a Los Angeles Walmart found themself with red burning eyes and faces after a woman allegedly used pepper spray to get closer to a crate of discounted Xbox video game players. Up to 20 people including children, suffered nose and throat irritation. “People started screaming, pulling and pushing each other, and then the whole area filled up with pepper spray,“ Alejandra Seminario told The Times. The woman was able to pay for her items and get away before police arrived but she turned herself in the next day. LAPD detectives did not rule out that she acted in self-defense and no felony charges were ever filed against her.
Shirtless and unafraid
In 2016 several people gathered outside an Adidas store in Vancouver when a member of the crowd got violent and shirtless. The store was set to release a rare shoe on sale for the Black Friday event and they kept doors blocked with a metal grate. But the doors never opened because the sale was called off. One man was caught on camera shirtless using his belt as a whip. “He was running around with his belt, swinging it at people, and then out of nowhere, some guy came behind and just started choking him,” a teen who witnessed the event said, per CTV News. Police were called in and they arrested the shirtless man. The shoes were raffled off the next day instead.
Gift Cards Galore
In 2006 an elderly woman was sent to the hospital and nine others were injured after the Del Amo Fashion Center in southern California dropped 500 balloons with gift cards without warning. Some 2,000 shoppers rushed for them and the mob began pushing and shoving after the balloons were dropped. “With the chance of getting a nice prize, people start forgetting about safety, and that does concern us,” Police Officer Dave Crespin said, per ABC7.
Toys ‘R’ Death
Toys “R” Us went from becoming a kid‘s dream to a place of nightmares in 2008 when 2 men pulled out guns and shot each other to death in the crowded store. According to reports, it all started when the women they were with began arguing before getting physical near the checkout area and one began punching the other. Then the men got involved, resulting in both of their deaths. At the time, Toys “R” Us issued the following statement, “We are working closely with local law enforcement officials to determine the specific details of what occurred,” the statement said. “Our understanding is that this act seems to have been the result of a personal dispute between the individuals involved. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to associate the events of today with Black Friday.”
Not For Sale
A man was shot outside a Tennessee mall in 2018 as Black Friday came to an end but it wasn’t because he had his eyes on someone else’s merchandise- the victim told police he saw an “attractive woman” inside the mall WHBQ-TV reported. Once he headed outside with his cousin a fight ensued with the girl‘s boyfriend. He was knocked out then shot at while he was pulled to his feet. Thankfully he was just grazed by the bullet.
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