10 Black Friday Sales That Became National News Stories

Black Friday sales repeatedly became national news stories, not for record profits, but for shocking displays of consumer violence and a critical failure of retail security. The 2008 Walmart trampling death of an employee in New York stands as the most tragic outcome, forcing a national reckoning on store preparation and safety regulations, while the 2011 California pepper spray attack over Xbox consoles highlighted the extreme lengths to which competitive shoppers would go. Earlier incidents, such as the 1983 Cabbage Patch Kids riots, demonstrated that product scarcity could historically trigger mass hysteria. Later years brought widespread brawls over discounted items ranging from $2 waffle makers to flat-screen televisions in both American and international stores, such as the infamous 2014 chaos at Asda in the UK, often captured in viral videos. These events, alongside non-merchandise-related violence like the 2017 Alabama mall shooting and various stabbings, consistently frame the shopping day as a hazardous environment that puts both consumers and employees at risk, compelling an ongoing, difficult debate about the ethical cost of extreme consumerism.

1. 1. The 2008 Walmart Trampling Death in Valley Stream, New York

The most tragic event in Black Friday’s history occurred in 2008 when an overwhelmed Walmart store on Long Island, New York, became the site of a deadly stampede. Thousands of shoppers, eager for the 5 a.m. doorbusters, descended on the store, breaking down the doors as they opened. The surge of the crowd tragically knocked 34-year-old temporary employee Jdimytai Damour to the ground, where he was fatally trampled. Shoppers allegedly stepped over the dying man and the metal wreckage of the door frame, with witnesses reporting that many in the frenzy continued their shopping despite the police presence and the calls for the store to close. The sheer disregard for human life in the pursuit of discounted electronics and goods shocked the nation. It sparked a difficult public conversation about extreme consumerism and inadequate crowd-control measures at retail stores, leading to a significant fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration against Walmart. The incident highlighted the intense and often dangerous atmosphere that can surround Black Friday sales.

2. 2. The 2011 California Pepper Spray Incident over Xbox Consoles

The 2011 Black Friday saw a bizarre and frightening incident at a Walmart in Porter Ranch, California, which made headlines nationwide. As shoppers gathered for the doorbuster deals on video game consoles, a woman grew so impatient and competitive that she deployed pepper spray into the massive crowd waiting for the electronics section to open. The incident injured up to 20 people, including children, causing coughing, tearing, and burning eyes, and creating a wave of chaos that quickly spread through the store. Authorities labeled it a case of “competitive shopping,” and the woman eventually turned herself in several days later. The story went viral, sparking nationwide commentary, both serious and satirical, about the lengths some people would go to for a bargain, transforming the event into a disturbing symbol of Black Friday’s darker, more aggressive side. It served as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of large crowds gathered for limited, high-demand products.

3. 3. The 1983 Cabbage Patch Kids Riots

Long before the era of cheap flat-screen TVs, the frenzy of Black Friday centered on a highly coveted toy: the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls in 1983. Demand for the exclusive, adoption-themed dolls far outstripped supply, turning countless department stores and toy shops across the country into battlegrounds. News reports showed customers engaging in massive scuffles, fistfights, and full-blown stampedes just to grab a single doll. One particularly chaotic scene in Pennsylvania involved a store manager swinging a baseball bat to defend himself from the surging crowd. The national media widely covered the “Cabbage Patch Mania,” portraying the desperate consumer behavior as an alarming social phenomenon. The incidents became an early, iconic example of how a limited-availability product could trigger mass hysteria and violence during the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush, cementing the dolls’ place in Black Friday lore.

4. 4. The 2014 Brawl Over Televisions at Asda in the UK

While Black Friday is an American tradition, the practice quickly spread globally, leading to its own share of international chaos that made news in the US. In 2014, a particularly shocking incident occurred at an Asda supermarket — Walmart’s UK subsidiary — where shoppers were filmed aggressively fighting over discounted electronics, primarily large-screen televisions. Viral video clips showed people grappling, yelling, and tumbling over boxes in a truly savage manner just to claim a deal. The violence in stores across the UK, including incidents where police had to be called to manage the unruly crowds, led to intense public scrutiny and debate over whether the country should adopt the American shopping event at all. Asda eventually decided to scale back its Black Friday participation in subsequent years, acknowledging the negative publicity and safety risks that the extreme discounting generated.

5. 5. The 2012 Brawl Over a $2 Waffle Maker in Georgia

Sometimes, the small price of an item contrasts dramatically with the level of violence it inspires, and this was certainly the case in 2012 when a fight broke out at a Walmart in Rome, Georgia, over a ridiculously cheap $2 waffle maker. A video of the intense, chaotic brawl over the kitchen appliance went immediately viral, attracting national attention and mockery. The footage showed shoppers physically shoving each other in a frantic effort to snatch one of the limited doorbuster items from a display. The sheer absurdity of the fight being centered on such an inexpensive, non-essential item amplified the underlying message: that Black Friday often devolves into an irrational, aggressive pursuit of any deal, regardless of its real value. The incident was widely shared as an example of consumer madness, making the seemingly harmless waffle maker a symbol of holiday shopping desperation.

6. 6. The 2015 Kentucky Mall Stabbing

The spirit of Black Friday was profoundly violated in 2015 when a stabbing occurred during the early morning rush at the Mall St. Matthews in Louisville, Kentucky. National reports indicated that a fight escalated between two men inside the mall, resulting in one individual being stabbed and seriously injured. The mall was immediately evacuated, causing widespread panic and disrupting the shopping of thousands of customers. The incident was not directly related to the scramble for merchandise but rather a violent dispute that happened to occur amid the Black Friday chaos, underscoring the high-tension, combustible atmosphere that pervades major retail centers on that day. News coverage highlighted the security concerns associated with the vast, tightly packed crowds, demonstrating that the shopping holiday’s risks extend beyond simple trampling.

7. 7. The 2010 Target Stampede in California

A dangerous stampede occurred at a Target store in the Fresno, California, area in 2010 when the doors opened to a massive crowd. Shoppers rushed inside, leading to several injuries as people were pushed and shoved in the aisles, all eager to grab limited-time deals. The crowd was so large and unruly that reports stated shoppers were climbing over each other and the display fixtures. While no fatalities occurred, the widespread media coverage of the event, with witness accounts describing the terrifying loss of control, amplified the public debate about retailers’ responsibility to manage crowds effectively. The incident became a prime example of the physical risks of underestimating consumer appetite for Black Friday doorbusters, forcing Target and other major retailers to review and adjust their security and crowd-control procedures nationwide.

8. 8. The 2017 Alabama Mall Shooting

A tragic and deeply unsettling event made national headlines in 2017 when a shooting broke out at a shopping mall in Hoover, Alabama, on Thanksgiving evening, as stores were launching their Black Friday sales early. A confrontation between two young men escalated, resulting in one being shot and injured, and an innocent 12-year-old girl nearby also sustaining a gunshot wound. Police shot and killed one man they mistakenly identified as the shooter, adding another layer of controversy and tragedy to the event. The mall was immediately closed, and the resulting investigation and public outrage over the violence and police response dominated national news for days. This incident elevated the Black Friday discussion from consumer chaos to a crisis of public safety and gun violence in commercial spaces, changing how many Americans viewed the holiday’s risk profile.

9. 9. The 2016 Texas Fight for Children’s Toys

In 2016, a particularly ugly scene unfolded at a store in El Paso, Texas, where a significant brawl erupted over highly discounted children’s toys, which quickly became a national news item due to the disturbing video evidence. The fight involved multiple adults aggressively yanking merchandise from each other’s hands, with the focus on items clearly intended for children, such as a ride-on electric car. The raw footage of the adults’ aggression over toys was widely circulated across major news networks and social media, creating another public moment of reflection on the avarice and competitive spirit of Black Friday. Commentators used the footage to lament the commercialization of the holidays and the poor example being set for younger generations, proving that the struggle for a discount could compromise the most basic adult decorum.

10. 10. The 2018 Brawl Over a PlayStation Bundle in Missouri

A heated confrontation at a Kohl’s store in St. Charles, Missouri, garnered national media attention in 2018 when two men got into a physical fight over a discounted PlayStation 4 bundle. The brawl was captured on video by fellow shoppers and quickly went viral, illustrating the persistent, high-stakes competition for limited electronics deals. The footage showed the men exchanging blows and wrestling on the ground near the display, completely disregarding the safety of other shoppers. The police were called to the scene, and while the merchandise itself was recovered, the incident became a widely published example of the out-of-control aggression that retailers still failed to manage consistently. It reinforced the public narrative that some shoppers view Black Friday as a contact sport where all politeness is abandoned.

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