The only variable seems to be the actual human beings who committed this horrible murder without provocation. I'm sure they were unaware the neighborhood was as depraved as it was, and did not intentionally seek to have murderers attend their sale en masse.
Chance, yes, but not that it could happen anywhere. There is seldom a way to be forewarned of evil people's future actions, particulary when mob action is an element, and there is no revenge motive.
Barfo...your argument is that Walmart wasnt prepared for crowd control...Well there SHOULD NOT BE ANY! When the hell has anyone said there should be crowd control at stores. If you think Walmart is at fault then you think there should be crowd control for EVERY sale by stores...WTF?!?
Any time a company expects a huge crowd at an event (and Black Friday has definitely been elevated to, and promoted like, a major event), they have responsibility to provide adequate crowd control. Crowd control doesn't have to be police/security guards (it can be temporary walls to divide crowds into manageable groups, etc), but certainly crowd control is expected at major events. I have no idea whether Walmart was deficient in that, but I disagree with your claim that Walmart wasn't responsible for any crowd control at all.
Well then put up crowd control for every major store for every holiday sale across the USA...you gotta be kidding me
Obviously, there was thought given to the size of the crowd. I am sure there was a huge security force there to watch for shoplifters. That is normal because a degree of theft is expected. Maniacal mob action is rarely expected, and never before at WalMart. Besides mowing down hundreds of people with machine guns as they stormed the doors, what could have been done?
Every major store that has a massively promoted sale, sure. You act like "crowd control" is some huge, extreme measure, like involving the National Guard. Crowd control can be as simple as having some people outside the store, keeping things organized and not a mob. This would be insane?
Re: OT: Walmart worker killed by frenzied shoppers Nope, you would be to blame. I had to reread the thread to see make sure I understood what you were saying. I actually didn't find the answer really. Are you saying WalMart should be taken to criminal court or should they just lose millions of dollars in civil court? Or something else. Without being there to see what happened, I can't say what I believe really. I do know that I saw a link on Yahoo today that wants to BAN black friday sales. That is way out of line IMO.
Re: OT: Walmart worker killed by frenzied shoppers While it's true the mob was almost entirely black, I don't think making blacks shop only Sat-Thurs is a realistic solution. This should be treated as any other mob action would be, such as a lynching. Find those responsible (they are on film), prosecute them, punish them as severely as the law allows. Next year people may think twice.
Re: OT: Walmart worker killed by frenzied shoppers I've just been responding to the assertions in this thread that WalMart is utterly blameless. What fraction of the blame they bear, and what, if any, penalty they should suffer would require a careful analysis of facts that I don't have access to. I assert only that there is probable cause to believe they bear some responsibility. Yes, that would be a massive overreaction. We don't ban cars just because tens of thousands die in car wrecks. It would be pretty silly to ban sales just because one person got trampled. barfo
I don't think I've ever gone out for shopping on Black Friday. Ever. There are certain things that you have to try at least once in your life. That's not one of them. Besides, everything I ever needed to buy for Christmas gifts was available a week later when things aren't so chaotic.
Re: OT: Walmart worker killed by frenzied shoppers That is where I get confused. Probable cause? I think criminal court when I hear that. I don't think a criminal investigation is too far fetched in this case, but one would think that they would do so just because of the death involved. WalMart should be held accountable for this if they knowingly did something wrong. That is something we should all agree on.
In their mad scramble for cash (ironically similar to the greed-driven scramble that started this all) have they given any thought or effort to finding the actual PEOPLE who murdered their loved one? Granted, their pockets aren't as deep, but justice and revenge are what would be my focus in that situation. This only re-inforces the horrific impression I have had for decades of all New Yorkers.
I would assume it would be something like what Best Buy does and allow a limited number of people into to store at any given time, or perhaps hire several (one or two dozen for each store) security guards for that day, or maybe even a combination of the two.
See, this is what a jobs program looks like. Walmart will hire more people overnight. The Federal Government is asking us to wait years for the stimulus.
