Black Friday Takes a Dark Turn

Black Friday Takes a Dark Turn

Paige McCloskey, Writer

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, and turkey surround the table as family members say what they are thankful for. But what happens the next day is not anything to be thankful for.

Black Friday is one of the most anticipated “holidays” of the year, with items being sold at 30, 50, and maybe even 60 percent off. Deals are thrown left and right as people come out of their food comas and head over to the mall around midnight, awaiting for Black Friday to begin.

Black Friday officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season, and is most commonly used to start purchasing your Christmas presents for great prices. But what is supposed to be a fun day, which includes purchasing new items and saving a bunch, takes a turn for the worst almost every year.

Police Departments, such as Philadelphia’s, claim that Black Friday is their least favorite day of the year. One of the police officers in this department claimed to have actually watched a woman be trampled by a crowd of people rushing to buy half priced Xbox’s. Another officer said that he remembers seeing a pedestrian be hit by a car as a person was rushing to get to the other side of the mall for their favorite bath salts.

This year’s Black Friday death and injury count was recently released, stating that there were 10 deaths and 110 injuries. Black Friday kicked off with a deadly shooting at a New Jersey mall. Also, a policeman was stabbed in the neck while confronting a ‘HMV shoplifter’ in Leeds.

In San Antonio, a man helped a woman that was being beaten in a Walmart parking lot. Unfortunately, both of them were shot and lost their lives. Though this holiday is meant for shopping, people are taking the phrase “shop till you drop” a little too literally on this day.

Police forces everywhere dread when Thanksgiving comes around because of all the deaths that occur for no reason. “Two brothers were shot, one fatally, early Friday morning outside of a Macy’s department store at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, New Jersey. All these deaths for what? Clothes,” said the chief officer of Atlantic City. They hope that people will begin to realize that no one’s life is worth saving 50 dollars on clothes and goods.