On Thursday evening, 5 teenagers were arrested in Freemont, California. A shopping mall was robbed during a Black Friday event: PS4 video game consoles were among the items stolen. One of the perpetrators fired a gun into the air.
What happened there? The incident occurred on Thursday evening at 11:38 PM, before Black Friday. Suspects are said to have committed a robbery at the Target shopping mall. The stolen items included PS4 game consoles.
The store was open until after midnight to lure in “early Black Friday” shoppers.
Suspects pushing shopping carts with PS4 consoles
It is reported that several suspects pushed a shopping cart out of the store without paying. The cart was packed with items, including some PS4 gaming consoles. The security forces were already watching the suspects. They were waiting outside the store to confront the suspects.
There was then a scuffle between the security officers and two of the suspects, reports police spokesperson Geneva Bosqus.
It is said that during this scuffle the stolen items fell to the ground. A getaway vehicle then pulled up, a silver Volkswagen. Someone in that car fired several shots from a weapon into the air, apparently to create a diversion.
One of the suspects reportedly picked up a PlayStation 4 from the ground and ran to the car with it and fled.
But the police had already been informed and began the chase.
5 suspects aged 17 to 19 arrested
This is how it turned out: The suspects did not get far. About 10 minutes later, they were spotted in Freemont. One of the suspects then jumped out of the car and tried to flee.
Ultimately, all 5 people in the car were arrested by the police. The car belonged to the father of one of the suspects:
- It is reported that the man who is said to have fired is 19. He was also the driver of the car – he was arrested for the shots fired.
- The man who is said to have pushed the shopping cart out of the store is 18 – he was arrested for robbery and resisting authority.
- A 17-year-old boy was also arrested – he was reportedly directly involved in the robbery, and he too was arrested on suspicion of robbery and resisting authority.
- In the car were also an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy, who were also detained, but it is not known if the police arrested them.
The police say they secured the stolen items and also collected the shell casings.
That’s why it’s sensitive: The excitement was caused by the shots and the environment of the act. The shots disturbed customers and led to national coverage. Black Friday and the night before are major shopping holidays in the USA – Black Friday has also become significant in Germany.
No one was injured in the incident.
