Walmart employee loses his life to Black Friday stampede

[Cajuncowboy]

Might have gotten about 300 rounds coming back at you.

I highly doubt that.

 

[jimmy40]

I highly doubt that.

PALM DESERT, Calif. — Two men pulled guns and shot each other to death in a crowded toy store Friday after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said. Scared shoppers fled but no one else was hurt.

The violence erupted on Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving start of the holiday shopping surge, but authorities indicated the shooting wasn't related to a shopping frenzy.

Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said the fight was not over a toy. He said handguns were found by the men's bodies, but he released little other information. He would not answer a question about whether the shooting was gang-related.

Witnesses Scott and Joan Barrick said they were checking out of the store when the fight began between two women, each with a man. The women were near the checkout area, but the Barricks did not think the women had purchases.

One woman suddenly started punching the other woman, who fought back as blood flowed from her nose, Scott Barrick, 41, said.

The man who was with the woman being punched pulled a gun halfway out of his pocket, then shoved it back in, he said.

"He pulled his gun right next to me. I turned to look for my wife, and she was already hiding," Barrick said.

"I was scared," said Joan Barrick, 40. "I didn't want to die today. I really didn't want to die today, and I think that's what we were all thinking."
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The other man pulled a gun and pointed it at the first man but forgot to cock it, Scott Barrick said. The first man tried to run but was blocked by the line of people, then ran back toward the store's electronics section as the other man fired his gun, he said.

The first man reached a dead-end in electronics, turned around and ran toward an exit, pulling his gun and firing back, he said.

"He went up to the cash register, he went to put his hand on the thing and he just went phoomp," he said, indicating the man fell.

He said he did not see what happened to the other man.

Palm Desert Councilman Jim Ferguson said police told him two men with handguns shot and killed each other.

"I think the obvious question everyone has is who takes loaded weapons into a Toys "R" Us?" he said. "I doubt it was the casual holiday shopper."

Ray Turner, 20, said he was two aisles away when two women began shouting and screaming at each other and he had a clear view of the fight until a crowd clustered around them. Both women had children, he said.

"We thought it was just a fight and then someone yelled, 'He's got a gun. He's got a gun.' You really couldn't see nothing because there was a crowd," Turner said.

Rafael Gomez, 11, said he and his father had been in the store about 20 minutes before the shooting but were in a nearby Pizza Hut when they saw people pouring out of the store screaming.

"We just saw them running and crying. I was kind of scared," Rafael said. "We got lucky."

Toys "R" Us issued a statement expressing outrage over the violence.

"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."

The Barricks and others remained at the scene long after the shooting because investigators would not allow cars to be taken from the parking lot until a crime-scene reconstruction was completed.

Palm Desert is a resort town about 120 miles east of Los Angeles.

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Gotta love the holiday spirit.

 

[Faerluna]

This kind of mob mentality happens every year. It was only a matter of time until someone died.

There has to be a better, safer way to have sales.

They could offer the same specials online and probably get more business than they get in the store.

They could have a raffle type thing - Hand out tickets for the 20 TVs that are on sale that they have in stock. Draw numbers at whatever time, you win the drawing, you have the opportunity to buy the TV.

Continuing with this insanity year after year is uncalled for and totally out of control.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

PALM DESERT, Calif. — Two men pulled guns and shot each other to death in a crowded toy store Friday after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said. Scared shoppers fled but no one else was hurt.

And if there was a guard on hand with a gun, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

What's your point?

 

[silverbear]

An unidentified 34-year-old employee was killed when customers flooded through the doors of the Black Friday opening of a Walmart in Long Island. The man was knocked over and trampled as shoppers literally walked over him to access the store faster.

While only one fatality was recorded, a pregnant women had to be hospitalized after being knocked to the floor and three other persons suffered minor injuries. Shoppers were still coming in as emergency workers were trying to save the man's life.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."

Just read that story a little bit ago, and couldn't make up my mind whether I should be disgusted, or outraged... I mean, people were pissed off because the store closed after that poor guy was killed, because it inconvenienced them...

Those folks can take their 800 dollar 50 inch Samsung plasma and shove it straight up their ignorant backsides... if they need help, I'll be happy to...

 

[silverbear]

This is sad!!

My dad just called me from New York, and told me about this. I used to shop at this exact Wal-Mart when I live in Long Island.

Sends a chill up your spine, doesn't it?? some years back, a nut went off in a Luby's just outside of Fort Hood and shot the place up... I'd eaten in that very Luby's before...

 

[silverbear]

I hope they have video of this and every person who stomped that guy or who ran past him is identified and has the hell beaten out of them.

Every person who stepped on him is an accessory to manslaughter, as far as I'm concerned...

I'm told that the police are indeed going over the surveillance tapes... keep your fingers crossed, if nothing else the victim's family will have themselves a hell of a lawsuit against those "shoppers"...

 

[silverbear]

that seems like the solution to all of lifes problem.

I once saw a T-shirt that read "There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved by a suitable application of explosives"...

 

[Rack]

Might have gotten about 300 rounds coming back at you.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[vta]

This is ignorant.
Our advances in many area's, from science and medicine to communication has not at all put a dent in human ignorance and stupidity.

For every one of you that has a shred of respect for another human, there are a hundred uncivilized clowns that will hurt someone for a cheap bargain or a perceived need.

F****** disgusting.

 

[jimmy40]

And if there was a guard on hand with a gun, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

What's your point?

Which is it, a guard with a gun or firing a couple rounds in the air?

 

[DIAF]

You don't think a couple of rounds fired in the air would have calmed them down?

I know, you're one of those....

Wrong forum for this discussion though.

Probably not. That would have caused a stampede itself, just in the other direction.

 

[MrMom]

This kind of mob mentality happens every year. It was only a matter of time until someone died.

There has to be a better, safer way to have sales.

They could offer the same specials online and probably get more business than they get in the store.

They could have a raffle type thing - Hand out tickets for the 20 TVs that are on sale that they have in stock. Draw numbers at whatever time, you win the drawing, you have the opportunity to buy the TV.

Continuing with this insanity year after year is uncalled for and totally out of control.

It's insane how hyped people get for this sale. Amazon.com still has the better deals on the majority of the items, even after the slashed prices.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Which is it, a guard with a gun or firing a couple rounds in the air?

A guard firing rounds in the air.

How's that?