Topic: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

NEW YORK - A Wal-Mart worker has died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers shortly after the Long Island store opened Friday, police said. Unconfirmed reports said a pregnant woman also miscarried as the crowd rushed in.

Nassau County police said the 34-year-old Wal-Mart worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m. ET, an hour after the store opened.

A police statement said a throng of shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking him to the ground." The exact cause of death "will be determined by the medical examiner's office," the police stated.

A coworker said the clerk was "bum-rushed by 200 people," according to the New York Daily News. "They took the doors off the hinges," said Jimmy Overby. "He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too ... I literally had to fight people off my back."

Police added that "a 28-year-old pregnant female was also transported to an area hospital for observation."

Shopper Jessica Keyes told the Daily News that she saw the woman being knocked down near where the worker lay dying.

According to Keys, when paramedics arrived they told the woman that "there's nothing we can do. The baby is gone."

Other shoppers said people kept entering the story as emergency crews attended the woman and store clerk.

"They were working on him, but you could see he was dead," the Daily News quoted shopper Halcyon Alexander as saying. "People were still coming through."

"They're savages," shopper Kimberly Cribbs said of the crowd. "It's sad. It's terrible."

Police added that three other shoppers " suffered minor injuries and were transported to area hospitals."

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede during the day-after-Thanksgiving bargain hunting, but said a "medical emergency" caused them to close the store.

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Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Dude!...it was frickin chaos here also at the one down the street....I'm not bad mouthing women, but my god, are you kidding me...I was one of the few men in line with my daughter this morning, and I feared for her...crazy!

Shred

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Clean up on Aisle 3!
Sorry, this is so sad and stupid, I felt a need to inject a little (dark) humor.
So who's fault is this?
The stores for creating a "feeding frenzy" with all their ads leading up to Black Friday?
The shoppers for letting themselves buy into it all?
Store security for not taking control of the situation?

Personally, I think the stores should be responsible to have security present and keep shoppers that are waiting for the store to open in an orderly line.
And anyone in the back that starts pushing forward should have the snot beaten out of them!

"Rock ON & Keep the Faith"

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

I attempted this 5 AM shopping blitzkrieg 2 years ago. It left an indelible stain on my Christmas spirit. IMO the retail giants are directly responsible for these tragedies by enticing shoppers with these "Black Friday" door buster(no pun intended, that's what they are referred to) sale items. The bloodthirsty shoppers know they only offer a handful of these items, thus the mob mentality. If this is your cup of tea you deserve the consequences. For the family of the unlucky Wal-Mart worker this senseless act is all Christmas will represent to them for years to come. For what Wal-Mart pays its employees do you think it was worth it? Gee, I wonder if the stampeders were rushing to get their hands on audio/video taping equipment?

                                                                                            Merry Retail Hunting To All,

                                                                                            J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

5 (edited by ohiodawg13 2008-11-28 15:18:05)

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Bill S wrote:

Clean up on Aisle 3!
Sorry, this is so sad and stupid, I felt a need to inject a little (dark) humor.
So who's fault is this?
The stores for creating a "feeding frenzy" with all their ads leading up to Black Friday?
The shoppers for letting themselves buy into it all?
Store security for not taking control of the situation?

Personally, I think the stores should be responsible to have security present and keep shoppers that are waiting for the store to open in an orderly line.
And anyone in the back that starts pushing forward should have the snot beaten out of them!

Bill, the security guards the stores provide are completely incapable of handling these mobs, a tactical squad in riot gear would have their hands full. The day I tried it the second store I tried, a Target outlet, had what appeared to be an orderly line, with security and store employees trying to keep order, but about 5 min. before the doors were to open a fringe crowd began milling around the doors. Tempers began to flair and you guessed it the doors opened and all hell broke loose. All I'm doing today is watching college football and munching leftovers.

                                                                                                              J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

This is just ridiculous. All in the name of a sale...

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Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Unbelievable...people can be real animals. And that poor guy was probably getting minimum wage for that. sad

I went shopping last year Black Friday and swore NEVER AGAIN.  People are insane.  I'm halfway done with my shopping already, and it's all been done via the internet.  I can't deal with retail stores this time of year anymore.

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I'd be the richest fool alive

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Whether you were at a Walmart, Kmart, Getsmart or what ever store, it's been wild, watch the news....anybody with a few nickels to spare are buying items at unbelieveable prices, the economy is so bad, this one day will make or break many a store...but no one should be injured or killed over it....I only went to buy my son a vaccum (wifes orders), my daughter and I hit 2 stores in an hour and went to breakfast (aint eating turkey for breakfast)....you would never know there's a recession....saw a man with two 52 inch 1080p flat screens...he payed the same price I payed for my 46 inch a year ago...anyhow, I'm done shopping for the day....hmm maybe

Easy shoppers, theres plenty to go around,

Shred

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

This is so sad. That poor guy's family. Happy Holidays, indeed. I guess they will have to add "Walmart Greeter" to the list of "The most dangerous jobs", and give them combat pay.
  I HATE shopping to begin with, but the thought of waiting in line overnight for anything other than great tickets is foreign to me. I do believe that this year, in particular, there will be bargains to be found through the season. Way too much stock for the current economic climate.
  I say, stay home, save gas, order on-line, and consider the gift of music..LFNIP comes to mind:)     Cathy

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

I hope the people that passed him feel good about themselves and have this on their thoughts the rest of their greedy life.

11 (edited by Rocket 2008-11-29 17:07:13)

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Some traditions are just ridiculous.  People overstuffed on a previous day's feast with plenty of calories to burn off up too damn early to spend too much or is it too little and start the annual OVERSPENDING b.s.??? Bah! I just don't get it! There's 300+ other days of the year to get out and think about someone else if you really want to put some thought and effort into it and maybe spend a little more (well, are they worth it, or not?-asked seriously!), but just as likely a little less.  My sisters are inveterate shoppers deluxe, any item up for sale has the same meaning as ON SALE, yet the tradition a younger one started is to go to a movie, whether geographically located together that day or not, with kids or without! Many times the theater is OURS philosophy usually holds up (even if shared with others in attendance) because of, uh, most people in stores (one may have to avoid mall theaters).   All I can do is sigh... and mad

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Rocket

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Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

HELL awaits the hypocrite...

Rocket is right!  Shamelessly faithless.  Some people don't believe in anything!

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

Re: Wal-Mart worker dies after Black Friday crowd rushes store

Bunch of dum sh***...they rush the doors and kill someone....CNN junkie here!...you want to know what to do with yer mohey, just ask me..not...off topic, anyhow I saw the CEO of Macys on black friday...he said they were putting up 200 "early bird" specials instead of 50...the recession, thats why...so all these animals need to chill...all the stores are following the same...people holding back on spending...no job..no money...simple math

Shred (a tear right now)

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