Black Friday shopping leads to some store chaos in US
By early Friday evening, there had no been widespread reports of the deal-inspired chaos that has become central to Black Friday lore in the U.S. — fistfights over discounted televisions or stampedes toward coveted sale items.
But there were several incidents of violence across the country.
Georgia
A scuffle broke out over the last set of pots of pans at a Walmart in Georgia, reportes the USA Today Network. No major injuries were reported.
South Carolina
Chaos broke out during a rush to get flat-screen TVs at a Walmart in Myrtle Beach, S.C., reported CBS Los Angeles. No major injuries were reported.
California
There was a brawl involving some shoppers over Black Friday deals in the Walmart parking lot in Palmdale, reported KTLA. At least 100 were involved in the fracas.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Anna Stebbins and about seven other deputies — the Palmdale station’s entire Thanksgiving evening shift, by her estimate — were involved in containing the scene.
“It was a really crazy scene,” she said in the KTLA report.
Alabama
Two men at an Alabama mall got into a fight, and one of the men opened fire, shooting the other man and a 12-year-old bystander, both of whom were taken to the hospital with injuries. Police shot and killed the gunman. Authorities have not said whether the incident was related to Black Friday shopping or if it stemmed from an unrelated dispute.
Washington
Authorities say deputies arrested a man after they say he held people hostage in a vehicle in a Vancouver Walmart parking lot and then caused the store to go into lockdown when he fled.
KOMO-TV reports deputies responded to a report of a hostage situation at about 11:15 a.m. Friday.
Clark County Sheriff’s Office investigators say three people were using meth in a car when the driver claimed drugs and money were missing and wouldn’t let them leave.
Investigators say the driver later let a man out of the car to steal jumper cables from the store.
The sheriff’s office says the man asked employees to call 911.
When deputies arrived, they say the driver and a woman in the vehicle fled and that the man ran through Walmart.
The sheriff’s office says he then hid behind an RV where deputies took him into custody.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
