Dozens of people faced criminal charges Wednesday after a night of social media riots in which groups of shoplifters, apparently acting in concert, broke into stores in several parts of Philadelphia, filled plastic bags with merchandise and fled, reports said. The authorities.
Police said they arrested at least 52 people. Charges of robbery and other crimes have been brought against about 30 people, only three of whom are adults, said Jane Roh, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office.
The apparently spontaneous looting occurred Tuesday night at Foot Locker, Lululemon, Apple and other stores after a peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss charges against a police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, shooting him through a window.
The looters were not part of the protest, Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference. They were “a group of opportunistic criminals,” he added.
At least 18 state liquor stores were looted, prompting the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to close its 48 retail locations in Philadelphia and one in the suburb of Cheltenham on Wednesday. No employees were injured Tuesday night, but “some were clearly shaken,” spokesman Shawn Kelly said.
The stores “were closed for employee safety and while we assess the damage and losses incurred. We will reopen when it is safe and the damage has been repaired,” Kelly said.
Videos posted on social media showed hooded and face-covered people rushing out of Lululemon and police stopping and knocking several of them onto the sidewalk. Photos from a sporting goods store showed mannequins and shoes strewn on the sidewalk.
The resentful lazy and
loafers looted
a liquor store in Philadelphia
to fight against
racist oppression…pic.twitter.com/7kDXBdIPcN
— EM (@EddyMaidique31) September 27, 2023
The robberies and vandalism spanned from the center to the northeast and west of the city, leaving a trail of broken shop windows and destroyed curtains. Police reported seven cars were stolen from a parking lot in the northeast. As of Wednesday afternoon, only one of the vehicles had been recovered.
Six establishments located in the same North Philadelphia business corridor were looted, including three pharmacies, a beauty salon, a tax preparation company and a cell phone store, the North 22nd Street Business Corridor business group reported.
People apparently organized the looting on social media, according to Stanford, the acting police commissioner. Police are investigating “that there was possibly a convoy of several vehicles going from one place to another.” A video posted on social media showed people hanging from cars in a shopping center parking lot, appearing to shout directions to each other.
