Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Burying violence prevention education, including Crumbly shooting, is routine!



Once again the police, judicial and media establishments have demonstrated they're far more concerned about vengeance after the shooting at a Michigan school than they are about understanding why it happened and how to prevent future shootings; not that I'm trying to excuse the shooter! They were quick to declare they would try him as an adult, as if the threat of this is going to make shootings like this less likely, and shortly after that they filed charges against his parents, and possibly the artist who helped them hide. But there was little or no discussion of the leading causes of this violence and how to prevent it, especially the most effective research on long term causes of violence.

Even this soon after the shooting, without full investigation, it's clear that there were numerous chances, both short term and long term to have prevented it. But as usual, possible short term solutions get far more attention, even though the long terms solutions are much more likely to prevent much more violence, although if you prevent a potential solution with long term solutions there's unlikely to be a clear record showing how much violence they prevented. There have been numerous reports about his Social Media posts before the shooting showing that he might be dangerous and this is the grounds for a a recent report, School district faces two $100 million lawsuits after Michigan shootings 12/09/2021 Whether this includes the parents or shooter as defendants or not I don't know, but if they're trying to get payment, this doesn't matter, since there's little or no chance that any of them will ever have enough money to pay their own legal and living expenses, let alone a large civil suit payment. Nevertheless, it's not uncommon for civil suits to try to get as much money as they can from people that will never be able to pay, which is all the more reason why we should have much more education about the leading causes of violence and how to prevent it instead, since this would save an enormous amount of lives and much more money, presumably in the billions of dollars.

This lawsuit might result in a large settlement for the family, although it will be paid for by taxpayers, not those responsible for the shooting, and the threat of litigation like this might encourage some school districts to make some small changes, but without much better education about the leading research showing how to prevent violence, it's unlikely to lead to more effective changes that have been proven to work in many other parts of the world. Most people don't realize it but the research to reduce violence has been available for decades and is constantly improving; although the media refuses to report on it, and politicians make policy decisions based on the financial interests and ideologies of their campaign donors, not good research. It has been reported repeatedly that there were plenty of signs that Ethan might go on a shooting spree, including his social media posts, and there was a meeting about possible intervention hours before the shooting, but nothing was done. Similar events have happened at other school shootings, but there's little discussion about how many troubled kids also showed warning signs that didn't go on shooting sprees, which is almost certainly why nothing was done. Furthermore, there was even less discussion in mainstream media about long term solutions to all forms of violence, not just school shootings, which would almost certainly have prevented it long before he became on the verge of shooting his classmates.

Furthermore there's virtually no discussion about the fact that no other wealthy country has nearly as high a murder rate as the United States according to a List of countries by intentional homicide rate which shows that all the countries with higher murder rates are poorer and have more dysfunctional governments ignoring the root causes of crime, and most of them are countries that our government has intervened in and is almost certainly responsible for their high crime rates. However, among wealthy countries, virtually all of them have less than half of our murder rates, most of them are less than a third and many less than twenty percent. There's plenty of research showing why, and there's little doubt that a major reason for this is they address many of the worst social problems contributing to violence much better than we do, and a large reason for our high murder rates are a large number of abandoned inner cities that have few educational or economic opportunities.

The town the Crumbly's lived in actually has a very low rate of violence, and this one shooting is going to send the murder rate skyrocketing from zero to 115, nevertheless there's plenty of evidence showing how this could have been prevented and showing programs the school or other social services could have done to educate the parents about helping him before he became a mass shooter. The most obvious, of course is that giving a fifteen year old, and potential victim of bullying, a gun is truly outrageous, and a major reason why the parents are being charged. There has been an enormous amount of research showing how to address many of the leading causes of violence for decades, in libraries where few people read them, but they get virtually no attention from mainstream media, from good academics including Barbara Coloroso, James Garbarino and many more.

The best academics hardly get any media coverage, although one exception, which I've cited several times before, was this article he submitted to CNN nine years ago shortly after the Newtown shooting How a boy becomes a killer 12/19/2012; but even then it got little or no air time on Cable News and I never would have found it if I hadn't looked specifically for it. This is relatively brief, of course, but his books cite many other programs often proving to save far more money than they cost and save lives, reducing crime and other social problems as well. Professor Garbarino has written about numerous programs which most people have never heard of that prevent an enormous amount of violence, including some that almost certainly would have worked on Ethan Crumbly.

One of these programs which I wrote about in Burying Solutions to Prevent Gilroy, Dayton and El Paso Shootings, which includes an excerpt from his book is a home visitor program that offers at risk parents help from someone trained in how to advise on raising children without abusing them or driving parents away from teachers or others trying to help the. It's unclear if Ethan's parents would have qualified for this programs, but he also wrote about programs where they teach teachers to recognize warning signs in children, which apparently were present with Ethan, and offer non-punitive advise to parents on how to resolve the situation, which may be similar to the home visitor program. In the most extreme cases these non-punitive measures might not be quite enough, and if they waited until the last minute and intervened right before the shooting and took his gun away, this might have been the case.

However, there's good reason to believe there were warning signs long before that, possibly when non-punitive advice might have been much more effective. According to Ethan Crumbley’s neighbor warned authorities about parents’ neglect: report 12/06/2021, which says
Kayla LeMieux, who lives near Ethan and his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, said she alerted child-abuse authorities that the pair would leave their son — then 8 or 9 years old — home alone while they went out bar-hopping, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

“When they were gone, he would come knock on our door,” LeMieux, 28, told the outlet. “They didn’t leave him with a phone.”

LeMieux said she notified Child Protective Services but doesn’t know if they took action — noting that the alleged neglect continued. .... A spokesman for the child-care agency told the Free Press that they could not confirm LeMieux’s claims because all abuse allegations reported to the entity are kept confidential.

This indicates that Child Protective Services were in a position to intervene, if necessary long before the shooting happened. Whether it's teachers from school or social workers from CPS there's no doubt that someone could have provided advice or other forms of intervention and they would be much less likely to have required extreme measures if they caught the problem years before it escalated. This is just one of many programs that help reduce violence depending on the situation, which most people have never heard of. In another previous article, Ten Ways To Reduce Violence, Backed Up By Research, I also cited this as well as several other studies, including another one mentioned by James Garbarino called "Zagar's Study" which shows that for every dollar spent on prevention programs they typically saved at least six more dollars on future social problems, which would have included police or court costs, and, perhaps more important, these programs also prevent an enormous amount of violence.

Previously after the Parkland shooting in Florida I also mentioned these programs in Prevention of violence has to address all causes, not just Guns! and cited reports that also showed that there were opportunities to intervene with Nicholas Cruz and other news reports showed that there were many opportunities to intervene with Dylann Roof, and of course, if you go through enough mass shooters or violence criminals, in most cases there were almost always missed opportunities to prevent shootings or other violence, and there has been research showing how to do it all along, but it's not reported in the media or used to make policy decisions!

In another speech given by James Garbarino: "Why Giving Teenage Killers a Second Chance Matters for All of Us" (aprox. 31-33 min.) he describes another experiment teaching how to prevent violence when he says, "There’s a psychologist in Chicago, Robert Zegart Xavier, that developed the most effective assessment algorithm for predicting future violent behavior or as most predictive instruments are lucky if they’re 70% accurate his is 90 something percent accurate we’ve actually used it in some of these cases to document this person is now safe; but there was an experimental program done in Chicago where they identified the thousands of kids most at risk of committing murder based on this algorithm and they gave them three programmatic elements, anger management mentoring and the jobs program and they cut the number of murders in half." There are many more experiments like this showing many solutions to address many different contributing factors to violence and how to prevent it, but most people aren't aware of them, since the media provides minimal coverage of it and politicians refuse to base policy decisions on good research, including how child abuse leads to escalating violence and also contributes to bullying, which is almost certainly a factor in many school shootings like Columbine, Oxford or Parkland.

There have been numerous reports that Ethan Crumbly was bullied including, Bullied suspect Ethan Crumbley, 15, allegedly used dad’s pistol in school shooting 12/01/2021, as well as several denials, which isn't uncommon, as I'll get to below. This article says:
His father purchased the 9mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting just four days earlier on Black Friday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. ...... Investigators said they are still trying to determine a motive for the deadly shooting because the suspect isn’t speaking to them. However, some classmates have said Crumbley was bullied, according to the Detroit Free Press.

There has been some speculation that his parents specifically bought him this gun for self-defense, although I haven't confirmed this through any news articles or statements from officials directly involved in the investigation, but there's no doubt that his parents made the gun available to him, and were strong advocates for gun rights. His mother clearly was a Trump supporter as indicated in a bizarre letter to Mr. Trump from Jennifer Crumbley and when she was informed that he was searching online at school for ammo instead of replying to the school or restricting his access to the gun she texted him, "LOL I'm not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught," and it wasn't until after reports of the shooting, that she texted him, "Ethan don't do it," when, of course, it was too late. There's little doubt that there were family problems long before the shooting, which could have been helped by outside counseling, assuming the parents were receptive, which they may not have been. This is also confirmed by Ethan's older half brother, Eli, who moved back to Florida to live with his real mother, who was his father's first wife.

Eli said he was unaware of any bullying and a police investigator seems to confirm this according to Parent of Michigan shooter met with schools leaders due to concerning behavior — hours before deadly shooting 12/02/2021 which says, “The coordinator of the anti-bullying programs had no information that he had been bullied by anyone," Bouchard said. “I will say again, there is nothing that he could have faced that would warrant senseless, absolutely brutal violence on other kids." However, this isn't a guarantee, since authorities might not have been aware of the reports of his bullying; as anyone who remembers Junior High School knows, most kids are reluctant to report this to authorities. However, since there were rumors about it in the paper, it appears to be a possibility, and few people asked for the source of these rumors, who may prefer to remain anonymous, due to peer pressure.

In this case, it clearly appears that his family upbringing was almost certainly a major contributing factor, but it's highly unlikely that there was no bullying or other motive for shooting up the school. Part of the reason why bullying is often denied as a contributing cause, especially with school shootings, is that it could easily be interpreted as blaming the victim; and to be honest, in most cases I have no idea whether the people shot by numerous school shootings are the actual bullies or not, and even if they are, shaming them isn't the most appropriate response. However, finding out what the leading causes of violence so that it can be prevented in the future requires some degree of disclosure followed up by educational opportunities so the public and politicians, school board members, that make policy should be informed about the best research, and this should include educating the public, especially since it involves improved child rearing tactics.

A large portion of our justice system, especially the police and prisons, are far more concerned with punishing people after the fact than figuring out how to prevent violence before it escalates. There's no doubt that there's no excuse, or justifiable explanation, as it should be defined, for this shooting, but there are contributing cause which we can recognize and prevent in the future. Furthermore, if we had done this decades ago, we almost certainly could have prevented numerous school shootings in recent years, including the ones in Oxford Mich. and Parkland Fla. There may have even been research in the early nineties showing how to prevent Columbine as well. The police officer was right when he said "there is nothing that he could have faced that would warrant senseless, absolutely brutal violence on other kids." However, this doesn't mean that once again, we should ignore effective ways to prevent these shootings and all other forms of violence as well.

It may not be easy to get conclusive evidence proving that specific school shooters were abused or bullied, or often both; however, there's an enormous amount of peer reviewed research from good academics showing that both lead to escalating violence later in life and that programs designed to prevent both bullying and other forms of child abuse, including corporal punishment are far more effective at preventing other forms of violence later in life, than relying solely on punishment as a deterrent. This is especially true when the suspect is suicidal, which many school shooters or mass murderers are, including Crumbly, Cruz Klebold and Harris. This should be easy to understand, yet the political and media establishment rarely ever consider it any more than they report on many of the leading causes for all forms of violence, not just school shootings.

If the media came out and directly said that they want to figure out how to prevent all school shootings without addressing any other forms of violence it would sound incredibly stupid, especially to those that realize there are multiple contributing factors to all forms of violence and when we address all of them then we'll reduce all forms of violence. The media doesn't quite phrase it this way, but they act as if this is what they want to do and it's just as idiotic, if not more, since they're not preventing any forms of violence including mass shootings. For all practical purposes the only thing they argue about is gun control, which most good researchers agree is a reasonable part of the solution, assuming they handled it well; but they don't even do that. An no good researcher would ever say that we should only try to solve one contributing factor while ignoring the vast majority of other factors.

One of the leading factors that I have focused on repeatedly is how early child abuse, often related to the use of corporal punishment contributes to higher rates of violence; in both 2018 and again in 2019 the states that still allow corporal punishment had a record gap with higher murder rates than those not allowing it on average. In 2019 the 19 states still allowing CP in schools had average murder rates of 6.07, while the 31 states not allowing it and the District of Columbia only had an average of 4.22. In 2030 the murder rates surged, possibly related to COVID, by about 30%, although the gap based on CP stayed about the same, or slightly less than 2019. This is all the more reason why we should learn more about all contributing causes of violence. Murder rates have been dropping steadily for thirty years, despite the fact that they haven't taught the majority of the public about the leading causes of violence. I have no doubt that part of the reason for this is because states have been banning corporal punishment more in the same time period, and parents have used it much less at home, but there are many other factors, including abandoned inner cities.

If you just look at the high murder rates in many abandoned inner cities, usually large cities, it's clear that they're what's driving our high crime rates, often with murder rates at least two or three times the national average and sometimes as much as six to ten times higher. There's also a lot of research showing a major contributing factor for this is our economic system. There are studies showing that high rates of poverty, income inequality, lack of educational or economic opportunities, lack of child care, and several other contributing factors related to our rigged economic system all contribute to higher rates of violence; and there should be little or no doubt that this is a major reason why we have higher rates of violence than any other industrialized wealthy nation. We also have research showing that in many cases solving many of these problems not only helps reduce crime of all kinds, including violent crime, but it saves money as well, yet the media refuses to report on this research.

According to List of countries by intentional homicide rate the United States is the 123rd lowest out of 195 for murder rates, and, with the possible exception of Greenland, none of these countries are as wealthy or well developed as the United States, and most of them have had there governments manipulated, overthrown, or been invaded by the United States, which is almost guaranteed to be part of the reason why they're so violent. Aviva Chomsky explains how intervention from the United States is a major contributing cause of violence and refugees in "Central America's Forgotten History," and there are plenty of other books showing that intervention for many other countries more violent than the United States were also overthrown or invaded by the United States, which may have had similar effects on local violence even after the USA stops intervening, assuming they actually do stop intervening, although many of them don't explain the connection to crime as well as Aviva Chomsky. When it comes to other wealthy industrialized countries they're virtually all among the eighty least violent countries in the world with murder rates more than 60% lower than the United States, below 2 per 100,000 and many of them are more than 80% lower than ours, below 1 per 100,000. And this was before last years surge in murder rates, supposedly related to the pandemic, which caused our murder rates to rise by about 30% to approximately 6.6 per 100,000; and since the United States was hit far worse by the pandemic than most countries, including the wealthy ones with lower rates of violence, it's likely that the gap grew even more, although I don't have up to date data for most countries.

Some good researchers, including Sherry Hamby, claim that all violence is interrelated; and there's an enormous amount of evidence to support this claim. It is almost certainly also true that most, if not all, social problems are interconnected, including many factors that contribute to violence later in life, like child abuse, poverty, income inequality, lack of education, as well as homelessness and drug abuse. In a previous article, Machiavellian Ideology Ignores Real Science I pointed out research about how Finland virtually solved their homeless problem by housing them, and saved far more than they spent on other social problems, and if we replicated their policies there's no doubt we could save billions of dollars and solve most of this problem at the same time; and Portugal had similar results by treating drug addiction instead of criminalizing it. They didn't provide specific studies showing how much money they could save, but there's no doubt they saved an enormous number of lives and far more money than it costed to treat addicts.





There's also evidence to show that providing child care for those that need it also greatly reduces violence; if you look at the chart below and cross check it with countries based on their murder rates, it's clear that all these countries that provide much more funding for child care also have much lower murder rates. For a more comprehensive comparison check Public spending on childcare and early education 2017 which includes more countries; comparing some of them shows a few exceptions but on average, those that spend more on child care have less violence, and many other social problems.



This is also confirmed by several studies as reported in The biggest benefit of pre-K might not be education 07/30/2014 which says:
One of the most common arguments in favor of universal pre-K is the argument that it will actually save money: $7 for every $1 invested, according to President Obama's proposal for expanding pre-K access. Some studies have found an even higher return — as high as $16 to $1 — on investment from sending 4-year-olds to school.

This isn't because of the educational benefits of pre-K. Some studies have found that gains in test scores gradually fade out as children continue through public school.

Instead, the cost-savings reflect an unexpected side-benefit of early education: children who participated in pre-K in some studies were less likely to commit crimes, or to be arrested, later in life.

That's why police chiefs are one of the most unlikely backers of proposals for universal pre-kindergarten. Still, most of the studies that show pre-K reduces crime are also studies that pre-K skeptics criticize the most, saying those programs are hard to replicate at a state or national level.

Some studies have found children who went to pre-K were less likely to be arrested later in life.

The statistics on crimes committed by children who attended pre-K as four-year-olds come from three long-term studies of children living in poverty: the Perry Preschool project in Michigan, the Abcedarian Project in North Carolina and Chicago Longitudinal Study.

The Perry Preschool project, which sent 65 poor children living in poverty in Ypsilanti, Michigna, to pre-K between 1962 and 1967, found that children who attended pre-K were much less likely to be arrested for any type of crime by age 40

These are just a handful of the studies showing that social spending to solve problems before they escalate are far more effective at reducing violence and saving money at the same time; yet these studies hardly get any media coverage at all. In most cases there are effective solutions shown by research, but they don't always have the research to show that they also save money at the same time; but there are enough good studies to show a general pattern of behavior that indicates that when programs to help children are done well they save far more than they cost and this will almost certainly be proven with enough research.

This means that, contrary to what many politicians who claim to be fiscal conservatives, not only can we afford it but we can't afford not to increase funding for these programs, if we want to solve social problems and reduce the deficit at the same time. Amazingly, many of the same politicians claiming they're fiscal conservatives and want to cut funding for these programs, don't hesitate to spend enormous amounts of money on police, courts and prisons even though they haven't been proven to work at all! Clearly the real fiscal conservatives are the ones acknowledging the most effective research and demanding funds for the programs that are the most effective, not the most wasteful!

This is just one of many major contributing factors leading to escalating violence later in life, including about half a dozen of the most important contributing factors like abandoned inner cities and child rearing tactics. There are many good advisers on child rearing tactics including Barbara Coloroso author of "Kids Are Worth It!" and "The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander," which may be even more important than Professor Garbarino's research, since it provides more advice on alternative child rearing tactics, although not as much research on how abuse leads to escalating violence. Another good source is Dr. Stacey Patton author of "Spare the Kids" who also advises on alternatives and the research showing how child abuse leads to escalating violence, including tracing the history of why African Americans may be more supportive of corporal punishment, showing that this was actually taught to them by slave owners over a hundred and fifty years ago, and that when African Americans reject advice on child rearing they may be partly correct, but it should be the advice from former slave owners, not modern child rearing researchers they should reject.

Unfortunately, in the absence of good high profile research in the media or political establishment, there are still a lot of so-called child rearing experts like James Dobson, John Rosemond, and Michael Pearl who sometimes gets more media attention than more qualified academics recommending strict disciplinary methods that include the use of corporal punishment, which often escalates to abuse. Amazingly a few years ago the Dugger family featured Michael Pearl on their show at a time that the Turpin parents were being exposed for some of the worst child abuse of their kids using the same methods. At about the same time several higher profile pundits, including Anderson Cooper also gave Michael Pearl a fair amount of media coverage, although they seemed critical of him. But Anderson Cooper was helping increase the profile of the Pearl's without giving media coverage to the best academics showing how serious the abuse was and providing alternatives. Instead, Anderson Cooper, and perhaps a couple celebrity child advocates without aany academic background expressed shock at these tactics, which might attract ratings, but not explaining how to prevent this abuse. That research remained in the academic world ignored by mainstream media.

Another contributing factor which the media doesn't cover is violence in the media or violent video games, and how they desensitize kids and make them more likely to commit violence later in life. It's really not surprising that they refuse to cover this, since they profit off of it; which is all the more reason why over 95% of the media shouldn't be controlled by six for profit corporations without any accountability or duty to serve the publics interests. The mainstream media also refuses to cover researchers that expose their fraud or how they contribute to social problems, which includes James Garbarino, who has been critical of violence in the media, although that's not what he focuses on the most. They also refuse to cover researchers like Susan Linn and Juliet Schor who expose how advertising to kids has a negative impact on children and is part of an indoctrination process, although this isn't the most important factor when it comes to increased violence.

But the biggest problem almost certainly isn't violence in the media; but what may be more important is a total lack of educational content about the leading causes of violence and how to prevent it. This is especially important because the media and political establishment are partly responsible for some important factors, including creating income inequality, increasing poverty, outsourcing jobs, educational reform that privatizes schools and puts for profit Charter Schools ahead of the best interests of children and numerous other tactics to rig the political establishment and economy for the wealthy!

Fraudulent speech to rig the economy or ensure that only political candidates, supported by the oligarchs, helping to rig the economy, even when it leads to increased violence, get name recognition, is protected speech in commercial media getting obsession coverage to indoctrinate the public. But speech that teaches how to reduce violence is relegated to the academic world or libraries, where only a fraction of the public reads it. This gives a massive propaganda advantage to oligarchs that already have far more money than they can ever spend, while there's little or no money for social programs that will save far more than they cost.

As long as we allow a small fraction of wealthy people control the educational material for the rest of us, we'll never solve many of our most important social problems; instead we'll continue allowing them to fig the economy while our society deteriorates!



The following are additional sources or related articles:

Dear Mr. Trump…. 11/11/2016 from Jennifer Crumbley Mr. Trump, I actually love that you are a bad public speaker because that showed sincerity, and humility. You changed your mind, and you said “so what”. You made the famous “grab them in the pussy” comment, did it offend me? No. I say things all the time that people take the wrong way, do I mean them, not always. Do I agree that you should of shown your tax returns? No. ... There is a whole house of representatives that still have to approve if you decide to get pissed at China and blow them up. ....... As a female and a Realtor, thank you for allowing my right to bear arms. Allowing me to be protected if I show a home to someone with bad intentions. Thank you for respecting that Amendment. ..... A hard working Middle Class Law Abiding Citizen who is sick of getting fucked in the ass and would rather be grabbed by the pussy.

Chilling Videos, Journal Found as Parents Face Scrutiny in Michigan School Shooting 12/02/2021 OXFORD, Michigan—Detailed descriptions of a wish to massacre classmates on his cellphone and in a journal. At least one social media post pointing to elation at access to a handgun bought by his dad. A mom who thanked Trump for “my right to bear arms.” And a meeting between his parents and school administrators about his conduct just hours before the attack. ...... Jennifer, however, penned an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump, which she posted on her blog, in November 2016.

Bond set at combined $1 million for parents of Michigan school shooting suspect after overnight arrest 12/04/2021 The 15-year-old suspect was caught looking up ammunition online while at school before the shooting. McDonald said school officials contacted his mother about the online search, leaving a voicemail and email, but received no response. Crumbley's mother instead texted him the same day, "LOL I'm not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught," McDonald said. ..... After reports of the shooting, Jennifer Crumbley texted her son, "Ethan don't do it," McDonald said. James Crumbley drove home to search for the firearm and called 911 to report it missing, saying he believed his son was the shooter, McDonald said.

SCHOOL HORROR Ethan Crumbley ‘could receive a lighter sentence if he turns the blame on parents for giving him gun,’ expert claims 10/04/2021 Barhoma added that Ethan’s best possible defense is to “claim delusion or insanity for the upbringing his parents gave him.“ ...... Oakland County prosecutor, Karen McDonald, told WJBK this week that both James and Jennifer Crumbley had been “difficult,” adding Ethan should not have had access to his father’s gun. McDonald stated: “We know owning a gun means securing it properly locked up and keeping ammunition separate and not allowing access to other individuals especially minors.”

Michigan school shooting suspect identified as Ethan Crumbley, 15 12/01/2021 However, some classmates have said Crumbley was bullied, according to the Detroit Free Press.

LEFT ALONE Crumbley neighbor ‘warned child abuse authorities about parents leaving Ethan at home while they drank at bars’ 12/05/2021

Oxford school shooting: Ethan Crumbley appointed lawyer by court after parents only hired their own 12/07/2021

15-Year-Old School Shooting Suspect Ethan Crumbley Wrote Disturbing Posts Online, Prosecutors Say 12/02/2021

How US Guns Destabilize Latin America and Fuel the Refugee Crisis 12/06/2021

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Biden’s Questionable Pick for Drug Czar 10/07/2021 Federal drug policy needs a major overhaul, but Rahul Gupta has a record of making harmful compromises.

'It's just crazy': 12 major cities hit all-time homicide records 12/08/2021

The US has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined 05/21/2018 Seven countries with a total of 431 million people.

Europe had school shootings like the US, and now they don't 02/15/2018

School Shootings by Country 2021

GoFund Me pulls fundraiser for Waukesha suspect Darrell Brooks 11/26/2021

How social media turns online arguments between teens into real-world violence 05/05/2021

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Courant exclusive: More than 1,000 pages of documents reveal Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza's dark descent into depravity 12/09/2018

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APA 2019 Main Stage: James Garbarino on Gun Violence 08/13/2019

The Origins of Rage – Reasons For Mass Shootings 08/15/2019

Six tools to help kids deal with the Sandy Hook shootings 12/17/2012

James Garbarino: "Why Giving Teenage Killers a Second Chance Matters for All of Us" 03/28/2018 Sometimes they have the experience of mentoring an older inmate takes them under their wing and tries to help them navigate and avoid some of the negative temptations they engage in positive activities, they get certificates as a plumber or electrician they said a law clerk there’s a sense in which when you get one of these sentences you have to make a decision at some point to live in the prison either as a monk or as a savage barbarian and the ones who are able to choose to be a monk assemble this alternative consciousness this alternative mind now it’s interesting that mentoring positive work appear on the list because there’s a psychologist in Chicago, Robert Zegart Xavier developed the most effective assessment algorithm for predicting future violent behavior or as most predictive instruments are lucky if they’re 70% accurate his is 90 something percent accurate we’ve actually used it in some of these cases to document this person is now safe but there was an experimental program done in Chicago where they identified the thousands of kids most at risk of committing murder based on this algorithm and they gave them three programmatic elements, anger management mentoring and the jobs program and they cut the number of murders in half so it’s interesting that some of these guys in prison have on their own together that same package of interventions all of that leads to transformation rehabilitation of course the regular research on resilience is relevant here as well because there’s a sense in which this is a resilience issue and you know some of the things that come up as factors underlying resilience are at least average intellectual ability and it’s very clear it helps to be smart if you’re one of Miller’s children having at least one person who’s crazy about you 32:42/33:23

Identification, treatment, and prevention of homicide: fallacies in research, treatment, and policy--a postscript on youth violence Feb. 2009 by Robert John Zagar

'No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults. 05/30/2020

Here Is a List of Far-Right Attackers Trump Inspired. Cesar Sayoc Wasn’t the First — and Won’t Be the Last. 10/27/2018 by Mehdi Hasan

Violence in the name of Trump 08/28/2019 Dozens of supporters of Donald Trump have carried out or threatened acts of violence. Here, the Guardian lists them all

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FBI Releases 2020 Crime Statistics 09/27/2021 The estimated number of aggravated assault offenses rose 12.1 percent, and the volume of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses increased 29.4 percent. 21,570 homicides 29.4% increase from 2019

Murder Rose by Almost 30% in 2020. It’s Rising at a Slower Rate in 2021. 09/22/2021

Murders rose sharply in 2020 but data is lacking across much of the country 09/27/2021

Uniform Crime Reports - New OJP Resources 1984-5

As U.S. Murder Rate Soars, N.H. Has Many Guns, Few Crimes 10/21/2021 19= 10,882 31/DC= 10,688

Wikipedia: List of U.S. states and territories by intentional homicide rate

Ethan Crumbley COLLAPSES, slams head into cabinet at diner | Michigan’s Oxford High School Shooting 12/06/2021

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How the Workers Stole Christmas 12/22/2021 Retailers have entered a full-fledged panic about organized looting during the holidays. But how much of that looting is real? And more importantly, who cares? ... The actual amount of loss from organized retail theft as estimated by the National Retail Federation was $2.1 billion in 2020 nationwide, debunking the retail lobby’s overinflated numbers of $49 billion. Compare that with the fact that these same corporations carry out an estimated $15 billion a year in wage theft from their own employees.

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Saturday, December 4, 2021

Walmart Crime Report November 2021



Walmart had another sixteen shootings in November of 2021, with four of them fatal. Two of the fatalities were caused by police, one which is probably considered justified, but the officer, who was working off-duty as a security guard in the other one was fired the next day and is being investigated. Both these suspects were allegedly armed, with one of them pointing a gun at police, but the other one was an old man in a wheel chair, who only had a knife and there were at least one or two other police officers there by the time of the shooting. There were also at least three more people injured from the shootings, one car that had numerous bullet hoes, and another of the shootings involved a carjacking. As usual several of the shootings involve shoplifting or other robberies, and one of them was accidental.

A loss prevention officer that was injured in a previous shooting months ago was fired for petty reasons related to the shooting months after the fact; this isn't uncommon, many loss prevention officers have been fired for not strictly abiding by policies; however these policies often change, and their rarely posted public for most of us to know them, and in some cases the loss prevention officers don't seem to know what they are.

In addition to the four dead from shootings a man was found dead as a result of a fight on the premises, which was classified as a murder and there were two people killed as a result of car accidents, including one homeless woman that was lying in a meditative position, or sleeping when someone ran her over, making it a total of at least seven people dying on the premises. There were at least six or seven more additional gun related crimes including robberies or road rage, probably more, since the increasing flood of ads disguised as news makes it far more likely that even major crimes can get buried in the news unnoticed. This goes for all crimes, possibly even including more shootings, although they're less likely to get buried undetected. The media has turned into a propaganda machine for corporate America and can no longer be trusted to report the news, assuming they ever could be trusted, but they're getting worse steadily.

There were also at least six to eight major assaults and a kidnapping at Walmart, and in addition to the two fatal accidents there were at least half a dozen more major accidents, probably much more since many of them get little or no media coverage. A couple major assaults that happened in the middle of November but weren't reported until early December adds to the evidence that the media is often slow to report major crimes or doesn't report them at all. There was also at least one more car fire and at least five other fires, including at least a couple arsons, one by a grade school child, who can't be held criminally accountable.



Walmart had at least half a dozen more knife attacks, including three stabbings, one person attacking another with a box cutter and a hammer and another threatening people with an ax. There were also numerous robberies of both Walmart and other customers, including at least one worth $200,000, a person stealing a crossbow, various other purse thefts or sexual assaults, a person threatened with pepper spray, and much more, even including the theft of numerous tractor trailers by the owner of a pallet companies who wanted the pallets in them.

In addition to having massive problems with shoplifting, partly due to store design and obsessively increasing use of self checkout lanes, they also have a massive problem accusing innocent people of shoplifting. Last month one customer almost got arrested because a self-checkout misprinted receipts that were blank, and even though an employee told a manager he refused to believe it and only after the police arrived did they confirm the error. Another customer that was previously falsely accused of shoplifting was awarded $2.1 Million after a lawsuit, although it's unclear this will stand up on appeal, since the courts often heavily favor Walmart and other well connected corporations. This trial provided evidence that not only was Walmart demanding hundreds of dollars against this customer, after charges were dropped, but they did it to many other customers that were innocent, or there was no evidence to charge them, instates where it was legal, including Alabama. Many of these states are relentlessly turning petty shoplifting into felonies while refusing to file criminal charges for theft like this by Walmart, instead keeping it in civil courts so Walmart has an incentive to violate the law when the potential fines are lower than the profits from fraud; they do the same thing with wage theft, or price scanner errors!

Walmart had at least five more recalls last month, as usual there was minimal media coverage for them so most people with these products may not know to return them or that they're dangerous. These recalls include salads with listeria in them, cupcakes with metal in them, onions that are contaminated, at least four drinks that have health problems and nail guns that discharge involuntarily. Walmart is also being sued for a previous E. Coli outbreak and a 'Flying Fairy' toy and pain medication purchased in Ohio may have been tampered with. This tampering may have been only in the local area, but they don't have complete details.

Walmart is routinely involved in dozens of lawsuits at any given time including several that were resolved, pending appeal awarding people between $800,000 and ten million; however, Walmart rarely pays the full amount when they lose lawsuits, routinely appealing them forcing plaintiffs to settle for much less or nothing at all. The legal system is set up to serve the wealthy while providing little or no protection to those without the money for drawn out legal battles. One of these lawsuits is over their continued sales of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, which has been proven to cause cancer, it's hard to imagine why J&J is still manufacturing this. Another lawsuit is over their participation in the opioid epidemic, corporations involved in illegal drug sales are rarely held accountable, unlike individuals; and another involves a case where they gave a vaccine to a minor without the consent of the parents; and as usual, they're fighting more lawsuits to avoid paying their property taxes. Many of these towns are no longer getting taxes from small businesses that went bankrupt because of Walmart and may not get any from Walmart to replace their losses.

Walmart is increasing their reliance on automation of all kinds, including self driving deliveries and drones; there have already been a modest number of accidents, possibly including a few deaths, with very little use of this technology, considering how Walmart has handled everything else, there should be concerns about how much that might change.

Alice Walton is supposedly trying to reform healthcare, and if politicians act as usual, they'll bend over backwards for her; but there's little or no chance they'll implement real reforms like Medicare For All which is supported by a large majority of the public or other reforms proven to work. Biden has also shown that he'll cater to Walmart as well meeting with them twice in the past month, while he never meets with worker or consumer rights activists. As usual, there are numerous labor right movements going on but at best, Biden only gives them lip service.

Walmart has also profited on a massive scale because of the pandemic, and this is partly due to their political connections, not there ability to serve their customers and workers better. They got exceptions for economic shut downs while thousands of small businesses were forced to shut down and go out of business, with no help from the government giving the oligarchs overwhelming advantages. We're way past the point where we can consider this a free market where corporations compete against each other; oligarchs have wiped out small businesses with help from corrupt politicians and both workers and consumers are paying the price. Taxpayers also pay the price, since Walmart isn't paying their fair share of taxes like small businesses used to do!

It should be no wonder when teens or outraged customers or workers disrupt business at Walmart and getting angrier at them than at the executives that are driving many people to desperation defeats the purpose.

One of Walmart's suppliers has a creative sense of humor; they sold them a cactus that speaks in three languages; but when it talks in Polish it swears, sings about doing cocaine and suicide or other emotional problems.

They stopped selling this.

Officially.

There are almost certainly many people having a few beers or doing some drugs that would find this hilarious and want to buy this cactus!

Hypothetically speaking if Walmart wanted to profit from this, they would have to pretend it was stolen and sold on the black market so they would have plausible deniability!





Strange things happen at Walmart!





In 2006 Wake Up Walmart did a study, "Is Walmart Safe?" based on incidents in 2004, (PDF) about crime at Walmart which showed that it increased when Walmarts opened up and that crime was higher at Walmart than at other retailers. Since then Walmart Shootings began compiling a list of gun related incidents at Walmart and demonstrated that they have a large number of them, including on average more than one shooting per week somewhere in the country; now after counting them for several years that average is over two per week. In January of 2014 another study, "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" provided additional statistical research indicating that Walmart might be contributing to higher crime rates or at least a slowing of the decline in crime. The study found that. “on average, communities with Walmarts had 17 more property crimes and two more violent crimes per 10,000 people than those communities without Walmarts.” I reviewed this more in Walmart’s crime problem, Rolling Back Safety more than prices? where I explained that although this study is helpful they could have done better with additional data that is available and I reviewed some of that. I also added my own review about why I think that Walmart policies have been contributing to higher crime in a previous blog, Walmart high crime rate continues un-investigaterd and have provided additional information under the author tag Walmart Crime Watch.

Stacy Mitchell has also compiled a list of other studies about Walmart and how they impact society, Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business. To the best of my knowledge Walmart has done as little as they seem to get away with, often relying on rhetoric that isn't backed up with action, when it comes to addressing any of their critics concerns, including crime. One of the responses they’ve come up with is what they call "Restorative Justice" which gives first time shoplifters a chance to avoid being arrested or any criminal record if they take an on line course which costs $400 up front or $500 in payments, plus perhaps, reparations. This has been part of the privatization process and often denies suspects of the due process or access to a lawyer, perhaps even intimidating and extorting from some people that might not even be guilty. Walmart seems to be trying to find a way to turn crime into a profit making situation instead of looking for the most effective ways to reduce it. Making Change at Walmart is asking If you or someone you know has gone through @Walmart's "Restorative Justice" program for first-time suspected shoplifters, send us a DM. 03/30/2017 to ensure that it isn’t doing more harm than good. I did my own review of this program as well at Walmart’s “Restorative Justice” Endangers Public Without Reducing Crime. The following are a list of incidents that occurred in November 2021. According to the "Is Walmart Safe?" the average store in their sampling had 250 incidents per year indicating that these are only a fraction of the crime reports at Walmart, and presumably, the ones most likely to make the news on the internet nationwide. This isn't statistically representative, as the 2006 or the "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" study or some of the studies cited by Stacy Mitchell; but it does provide some additional information that may help recognize how many problems there are at Walmart.



Boone NC Police: Everything checks out 'OK' after call of gunshots in area of Walmart, Lowe's 11/01/2021

BOONE — Boone Police posted on Facebook that the department received a call of gunshots in the area of Walmart and Lowe’s on the evening of Nov. 1.

The department posted around 8:17 p.m. that officers checked both buildings and the surrounding area and stated “everything is OK.”

The department stated in its post that officers are still in the area — as of the post — making sure everything is OK. The department also posted an update saying nothing was found and that there would be extra patrols in that area. Complete article


Ca. Walmart Employee Threatened With Ax: Police 11/01/2021

AMERICAN CANYON, CA — A man is accused of threatening to strike a Walmart employee with an ax in an incident last week in American Canyon, police said.

Around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, officers were sent to a report of a possible theft at Walmart and as they were en route to the store, they were updated that the suspect was threatening to strike an employee with an ax, police said.

Officers detained 35-year-old Wenzell Smith, a transient from Vallejo, in handcuffs as he tried to escape out of a fire exit, police chief Rick Greenberg said. Complete article


Man arrested, charged with robbery in Longview Tx. Walmart parking lot 11/01/2021

A 55-year-old man was arrested early Monday after police say he assaulted and robbed a person in a Longview Walmart parking lot.

Oscar Wright Jr. was arrested Monday morning and charged with felony robbery. He remained jailed Monday afternoon with bond not yet set, according to online jail records.

Police responded at about 6:40 a.m. to a robbery call in the parking lot of Walmart Supercenter, 2440 Gilmer Road. Police were told a man, later identified as Wright, assaulted a person in the parking lot and demanded the victim’s keys and money. Complete article


Check your fridge: Dole, Walmart, Giant and Kroger salads recalled after listeria found 11/02/2021

Dole Fresh Vegetables recalled bagged garden salad sold under its brand and Walmart, Kroger and Giant Food Stores store brands after Georgia Department of Agriculture testing found listeria in a sample.

The salads should already be off store shelves, as all had a best by date of 10-25-21. But check your refrigerators for these salads:

▪ Dole Garden Salad, 24-ounce bags, lot Nos. N28205A and N28205B.

(At least three more salads) Complete article


Wal-Mart Sued Over Romaine E. Coli Outbreak 11/01/2021

On Friday, Kevin Bonanno filed a complaint in the Western District of Virginia against Wal-Mart Inc., Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P., Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. and Taylor Farms New Jersey, Inc. for injuries arising from the wrongful manufacturing, distribution and sale of salad products that were contaminated with E. coli.

According to the complaint, the defendant Wal-Mart is an Arkansas-based corporation that was engaged in the distribution and sale of a variety of products, including the “Marketside Chicken Caesar Salad Bowl.” Further, the complaint states that Taylor Farms is a California-based corporation that grew, distributed and sold vegetable products including ingredients of the “Marketside Chicken Caesar Salad Bowl” to Wal-Mart.

The complaint states the plaintiff is a Virginia citizen who purchased and consumed three “Marketside Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls” from a Wal-Mart in Winchester, Virginia on November 8th, 2019. The plaintiff alleges that four days after consuming the Salad Bowls, on November 12th, 2019, he began experiencing symptoms associated with an E. coli infection. The complaint further purports that this is consistent with the three to four day average incubation period for E. coli. Complete article


Police need help identifying woman in $1,200 Fla. Walmart scam 11/01/2021

Teen slaying outside NJ Walmart was alleged attempt at drug robbery, court record claims 11/0/2021

3 NC women busted in single-day $1,600+ heist from Walmart and Target, police say 11/02/2021

Thief gets $600 in electronics, razors, more from SC Walmart 11/02/2021

Howard police arrest, charge Baltimore woman with robbing Walmart in Ellicott City Md. 11/02/2021

A Baltimore woman has been charged with armed robbery after a Walmart employee witnessed her leaving the Ellicott City store with stolen merchandise, Howard County police said Monday.

Nianer Denise Thomas, 38, is charged with one count each of armed robbery, robbery, theft, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to electronic court records. Complete article


Topeka Kansas Walmart employee detains alleged kidnapper 11/03/2021

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A North Topeka Walmart employee is being credited with helping police detain a man police say was involved in an attempted kidnapping on Tuesday.

According Topeka Police Dept. Lt. Manuel Munoz, just after 1 p.m. officers responded to the 2600 block of NW Rochester on a report of an attempted kidnapping.

When they arrived, they found David Spates, 34, being detained by a store employee.

Spates was booked into the Shawnee Co. Dept. of Corrections for Aggravated Child Endangerment, Battery and an outstanding city warrant. Complete article


Police hope to ID man who stole a crossbow at Pa. Walmart in northern Berks 11/02/2021

The suspect walked out without paying for the weapon, and left in a silver car.

Tilden Township police are seeking help in identifying a man they said stole a crossbow from the Walmart store in the township last week.

On Oct. 25 about 6:30 a.m., the man entered the store wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins sweatshirt with a hood pulled over a baseball-style hat. He selected a crossbow valued at $217, then walked out without paying for the weapon. Complete article


Owensboro Ind. Walmart Reopens After Police Clear Bomb Threat 11/02/2021

Police: Schenectady man stole over $800 from Wilton NY Walmart 11/0/2021

Myrtle Beach SC fire called to investigate mysterious package near Walmart on Seaboard Street 11/02/2021

Beloit Wisc. man charged after Walmart theft attempt 11/03/2021

Fight Inside Aurora Colorado Walmart involving an airsoft gun Leads To Police Response 11/03/2021

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – Aurora police responded to a Walmart at an undisclosed location on Wednesday in response to a fight allegedly involving a gun. Police arrived and say they talked to those involved.

They say one person had an airsoft gun. No one was hurt. It’s not clear if anyone was arrested or what started the fight. Complete article


Police ask for help IDing 3 people after female Walmart cashier assaulted in Wayne County NC 11/03/2021

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (WNCN) – Police in Wayne County are asking for help identifying three men accused of attacking a Walmart cashier after an unsuccessful attempt to return an item, a news release said.

Mount Olive police said in a Facebook post that three people walked into a Walmart on Oct. 25 to return merchandise. A female cashier was unable to provide the return, though.

A man then became “irate,” police said and waited for the cashier to walk away. When she did, the man then ran behind her and hit her in the back of the head with a closed fist, seriously injuring her. Complete article


Tastykake cupcakes pulled from Target and Walmart over metal contamination fears 11/04/2021

(CNN) — Tastykake cupcakes sold by US retailers including Target and Walmart are being recalled over concerns they might contain tiny fragments of metal mesh wire.

Flowers Foods is withdrawing its Tastykake multi-pack cupcakes as a “precautionary measure,” the US Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

The company decided to recall the products after a vendor warned they could be contaminated, the FDA said.

The products that are being recalled were distributed to retailers in New York, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. Complete article


FDA reports Walmart, other stores received onions linked to outbreak 11/03/2021

The Food and Drug Administration has released a partial list of retail establishments that may have sold onions from Mexico that have been implicated in an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg.

However, the list may not be accurate, according to the agency.

“This list represents the best information currently available to the FDA; however, it may not include all retail establishments that have received the recalled product or may include retail establishments that did not actually receive the recalled product,” the FDA’s outbreak update states. Complete article

If You Bought This From Walmart, Don't Touch It, FDA Warns 11/03/2021


Blairsville Pa. couple sues WalMart over 'Flying Fairy' toy 11/04/2021

PITTSBURGH — A Blairsville couple has filed a civil suit in United States District Court in Pittsburgh, seeking $75,000 in punitive damages as well as other interest and costs from WalMart Stores Inc. and a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of a toy that allegedly caused one of the plaintiffs eye damage.

Robert Shaw III and his wife, Robyn Shaw, filed on their own behalf as well as their being “parents and natural guardians” of two minor children against WalMart as well as Magic Time International Ltd., producer of a toy called “Flying Fairy,” which the couple purchased at the Latrobe Walmart store.

According to their lawsuit, Robyn Shaw’s mother bought a “Flying Fairy” in the fall of 2019 — after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued recall notices and safety notifications for at least three toys with “substantial similarities in design” to the toy Shaw’s mother purchased. Complete article


Walmart stops selling guns, ammo at Oregon stores 11/03/2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – Walmart stores in Oregon have stopped selling guns and ammunition, the nationwide retail chain said.

The company did not specify what prompted the decision.

In a statement released to KATU News, a Walmart spokesperson said:
We are proud to serve hunters and outdoorsmen and women and will continue to serve them with an assortment that reflects our heritage of supporting hunting and outdoor sports.
Complete article


Millcreek Pa. PD asking for public’s help to identify suspect in Walmart theft case 11/05/2021

Did DaBaby Really Murder Someone During a NC Walmart Shooting? 11/04/2021

UPDATE: WV State Police says Elkins Walmart shoplifter identified 11/04/2021

Corydon man arrested after causing a disturbance at Ind. Walmart 11/05/2021

Police identify armed man fatally shot by police at Walmart in east Charlotte NC 11/05/2021

The officer-involved shooting happened at the Walmart along Albemarle Road, according to officers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has identified an armed man who was fatally shot by police near a Walmart early Friday evening. Police said the suspect threatened store security and pointed a gun at officers.

CMPD arrived at the scene around 6:30 p.m., later telling WCNC Charlotte in a news release that the incident started at the store along Albemarle Road around 5:50 p.m. Police said 33-year-old Derrell Lamar Reney was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died.

In a follow-up tweet, CMPD said the man reportedly threatened a Walmart security guard with a gun before pointing it at police. The firearm was recovered at the scene.

The officers involved in the incident were identified by CMPD as James Longworth and Micah Edmunds. Complete article


Trio Nabbed After Police Officer Hit By Car In Conn. Walmart Shoplifting Incident 11/05/2021

A call to police for a shoplifting incident ended with an officer being hit and seriously injured and three people behind bars.

The incident began around 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 4, when Naugatuck Police were dispatched to Walmart at 1100 New Haven Road to investigate the incident.

A Naugatuck Police officer arrived on the scene and interrupted a suspect attempting to enter a waiting vehicle, said police. .....

After signaling the Honda to stop, the vehicle accelerated and struck the officer at his traffic post, police said.

Witness statements later obtained from the scene described the act as intentional, according to police. Complete article


Police: Grade school-aged boy lights clothes on fire in Wash. Walmart; forces evacuation 11/03/2021

PASCO -- Police say a grade school-aged boy walked up to a rack of clothes in Walmart and lit them on fire before walking out of the store with his mother.

Sgt. Rigo Pruneda says the department is investigating the case and it appears the boy's mother had no idea what occurred.

The fire started at 9:15 PM at the Walmart on Road 68.

Employees and customers evacuated the store when the fire erupted. Police say the fire was out quickly thanks to a security guard who used a fire extinguisher. Complete article


Johnstown woman charged after assault at Pa. Walmart parking lot 11/05/2021

CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Johnstown woman faces charges after security footage showed her assaulting a woman at the Walmart parking lot in Richland, causing severe injuries.

The woman told Richland Township police that she was at the self-checkout Tuesday when 30-year-old Tiffany Pittman started yelling at Walmart employees, calling them racist for watching her check out, the affidavit noted. The woman defended employees by telling Pittman that they were just doing their jobs and were watching her, too.

While the woman was walking to her vehicle, she told police she heard Pittman yell, “You’re that ***** that said something to me in the store,” police noted. When she turned around, Pittman hit her in the face several times, spit on her, scratched her, threw her to the ground and kicked her before leaving.

The woman went to the hospital and suffered a broken wrist, a severe concussion as well as bruising all over her body, police said. Complete article


Lakeville Police need help identifying Minn. Walmart parking lot assault suspect 11/04/2021

Police say the suspect pictured followed a 65-year-old man into the Walmart parking lot on Oct. 27 after accusing the man of cutting him off on the freeway.

LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Lakeville Police need your help identifying a man they say is responsible for a violent assault of a 65-year-old man in a Walmart parking lot. The victim was hospitalized with severe injuries.

Police say the victim told them it started as a road rage incident, and say the suspect accused the victim of cutting him off on I-35 near County Road 70. Complete article


Police: one stabbed at Omaha Nebraska Walmart 11/06/2021

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha Police responded to a cutting incident at a Walmart late Friday night that left one person injured.

Police say the cutting incident occurred at 10:22 p.m. at the Walmart at 360 Saddle Creek road where they located one male victim who suffered a stab wound to his left arm.

OPD reports the officers located a male suspect at the scene, 38-year-old Jarvis Wynne. Reports state that Wynne was booked into Douglas County Corrections for second-degree felony assault, use of a weapon to commit a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Complete article


Wilson man wanted for assaulting juvenile Walmart worker, seriously injuring her 11/05/2021

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (WNCN) – A Wilson man is wanted for assaulting a juvenile Walmart employee after he was unable to return an item at a Wayne County store, police said.

According to the Mount Olive Police Department, the incident happened on Oct. 25. Darryl Jesson Williams Jr. got into a verbal altercation with the employee, who was a juvenile female, according to police.

After she walked away, Williams hit her in the back of the head, police said.

The assault seriously injured the girl, police said. Complete article


Florida Juries Ding Walmart, Hospital for Injuries 11/05/2021

Florida juries in the last month have returned two hefty verdicts in favor of plaintiffs, one for a slip and fall at a Walmart and one for the death of a stroke patient at a hospital.

In Apopka, near Orlando, a jury awarded $948,000 to a woman who fell after slipping on a wet bathroom floor at the Walmart in 2016. Jessica Amador was shopping with her mother and helped her mother into the restroom, which had just been mopped, the complaint said.

Amador slipped and struck the back of her head on a bathroom stall, causing serious injury and mental anguish, her lawyers said. The store should have followed its own procedures and kept the bathroom closed until the mopped floor was dry, and should have warned patrons of the danger, the complaint argued. The jury awarded $198,000 for medical expenses and another $750,000 for pain, suffering, disability, anguish and inconvenience.

In Port Charlotte, south of Tampa, a jury granted $2.6 million to the widow of a man who suffered a stroke in 2016 after he allegedly was not hospitalized soon enough, according to court records. Complete article


Woman sues Oregon Walmart after reportedly tripping over worker 11/07/2021

Watch where you crouch, especially if you’re working in a busy store like Walmart.

That is the message conveyed in a complaint a Douglas County woman filed against Walmart after she reportedly got hurt after tripping over a worker in the store who was kneeling down scanning merchandise on a shelf

Leann Botkin filed a negligence complaint on Oct. 28 in Douglas County Circuit Court. Botkin, who is represented by Portland attorney S. Matthew Lind, is seeking $10,000 for the alleged mishap.

Walmart had not yet formally responded to the complaint. Complete article


Ohio Woman Finds Kitten Dumped in Walmart Parking Lot and Adopts Him in Heartwarming Video 11/05/2021

Walmart in Jamestown ND closes for the weekend 11/06/2021

‘Probably because of what happened at Wal-Mart,’ says passenger during Pa. traffic stop 11/06/2021

65-Year-Old Tx. Walmart greeter following passion for performance 11/05/2021

One shot, carjacked at Olive Branch Mississippi Walmart 11/08/2021

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss – One person was shot during a carjacking at the Walmart in Olive Branch on Goodman Road Sunday, police say.

Police said three suspects approached the victim and demanded car keys. Shots were fired during the altercation, injuring the victim.

The suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, police say. Complete article

Father wants answers after daughter shot at MS Walmart 11/09/2021

Arrest made in Walmart carjacking 11/17/2021

Two more arrests made on Nov. 7 OB Walmart carjacking 11/25/2021


Warrants Secured On Mount Olive NC Walmart Assault Suspect 11/05/2021

Authorities are searching for a suspect in a Walmart assault.

According to a Friday afternoon Facebook post from the Mount Olive Police Department, 33-year-old Darryl J. Williams, Jr. of Wilson has been identified as a suspect in the October 25th assault that left a Mount Olive Walmart cashier with a serious injury.

Williams is wanted on charges of Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury (Felony), Habitual Misdemeanor Assault (Felony), Second Degree Trespassing. Complete article


Gatik's self-driving trucks are now making driverless deliveries for Walmart in Arkansas 11/08/2021

Autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has reached a new milestone in its partnership with Walmart and within the industry.

Gatik said Monday it has pulled the safety operator from behind the wheel of two self-driving box trucks that operate in Walmart’s home turf of Bentonville, Arkansas. This means the startup’s box trucks are driverless on a commercial route — a first for the industry, according to Gatik CEO and co-founder Gautam Narang.

Gatik has taken a different approach from other competitors in the autonomous vehicle sector. The Palo Alto-based startup isn’t targeting consumers. Instead, Gatik uses its autonomous trucks to shuttle groceries and other goods from large distribution centers to retail locations. Gatik, which came out of stealth in 2019, has been shuttling goods for Walmart in Arkansas and Louisiana, and for Loblaw Companies Limited in Ontario, Canada.

More recently, Gatik expanded into Texas following a Series B fundraising round of $85 million. Gatik has 25 self-driving trucks in its total fleet, which are spread out among Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, California and Canada. Complete article


Walmart employee charged with theft: North Olmsted Ohio Police Blotter 11/06/2021

Walmart, CVS, Walgreens among pharmacies now giving COVID-19 vaccines to young children 11/07/2021

Man accused of taking ‘upskirt’ photos of unsuspecting customer at Walmart, Harris County Tx. SO says 11/05/2021

Man attempts to leave Pa. Walmart with trash can full of merchandise 11/03/2021

FBI seeks help ID’ing man who may have crucial info about arsons at Walmarts on Gulf Coast 11/08/2021

Welfare check at WV Walmart leads to child neglect charge 11/08/2021

BUCKHANNON — Following a welfare check in the Buckhannon Walmart parking lot Friday evening, a local man now faces the felony offense of child neglect causing risk of injury.

According to the criminal complaint, Ptlmn. J. Garrison and Upshur EMS were dispatched to the scene, where a man was allegedly passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle with burnt aluminum foil in his lap, and a lighter in his hand. By the time Ptlmn. Garrison was on scene, EMS reportedly had the defendant, identified as Lucas Jay Ridgeway, 30, of Buckhannon, awake and responsive. EMS also stated that a 2-year-old child was in the back of the vehicle, secured within a car seat.

After allegedly telling the officer on scene that he did not have any drugs or paraphernalia in his possession, one Buprenorphine/Naloxone strip and two white wax paper folds known to contain heroin were found on his person, according to court documents. Ridgeway reportedly told the officer he had smoked heroin earlier in the day, but that he “was just holding the aluminum foil.”

According to the witness statements regarding the defendant’s position within the vehicle, it was apparent to the officer that Ridgeway had smoked heroin in the vehicle, causing him to pass out, and expose the 2-year-old child to the narcotic’s fumes. Complete article


Dump truck overturns near Derby Kansas Walmart, power lines down 11/08/2021

DERBY, Kan. (KSNW) — Police and fire crews are on the scene of a dump truck crash in Derby.

The truck appears to have driven off with its bed lifted, which took out a power pole near the Walmart at K-15 and Red Powell Drive.

The truck is on its side. Dispatchers tell KSN one person had minor injuries and did not have to be taken to the hospital. Complete article


Pain Medication Purchased at Walmart in Wapakoneta Ohio May Have Been Tampered With 11/09/2021

An over-the-counter pain medication that was purchased at Walmart in Wapakoneta appeared to have been tampered with.

The individual who purchased the item opened the cap and discovered the bottle contained a dark substance.

The item was returned to Walmart and the pharmacy was made aware of the incident.

The pharmacy department has removed the batch from circulation and also contacted the vendor.

The pills did not test positive for methamphetamines. Complete article


Police: Man makes off with $13 dollar zirconia ring in Wash. Walmart jewelry heist 11/08/2021

Walmart tests replacements for plastic shopping bags 11/08/2021

Lebanon Va. Walmart evacuated due to chemical leak 11/08/2021

A shoplifting arrest at La. Walmart turns into Bastrop woman being charged with drug charges as well 11/09/2021

Man caught with child porn on his phone at Fort Myers Fla. Walmart 11/08/2021

Man arrested after allegedly firing shotgun from window of a Chevy in a Va. Walmart parking lot while drunk 11/10/2021

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Spotsylvania man is in jail after allegedly firing a shotgun from the window of a truck in a Walmart parking lot while drunk.

On November 9 at 6:45 p.m., Stafford County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Walmart at 11 Village Parkway for a disturbance with a weapon.

Police said a witness on scene reported that someone had fired a gun from the passenger window of a Chevy Avalanche while parked in the store’s parking lot.

The suspect was then said to have exited the vehicle, leaving the gun behind and began walking around the parking lot.

The witness checked on the person in the driver’s seat of the Chevy and determined she wasn’t injured but also noticed the shotgun on the center console, according to police. Complete article


Cheltenham Pa. Police Searching For Armed Man Who Impersonated Police Officer During Walmart Robbery 11/10/2021

CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) — Cheltenham Township police are searching for this man. They say he committed armed robbery and impersonated a police officer.

Police say the suspect, who had a gun, threatened employees at the Walmart in Glenside on Nov. 4.

Police say he told employees he was a cop before stealing from the store. Complete article


‘I already paid for it’: Walmart manager accuses man of stealing after self-checkout allegedly misprints receipt in viral video 11/09/2021

In a video posted to Reddit on Nov. 9 by u/YouHateMeIKnow, a Walmart manager tells a man that he is not allowed to leave the store with the items that he says he already paid for. She thought he was stealing because the store’s self-checkout printed a blank receipt, rather than listing his items, after he paid for them.

“Call the police, you have my items,” he tells the manager. “I already paid for it, sweetheart!”

The manager also continually asks u/YouHateMeIKnow to stop recording him. He says he can record because the store is “public.” Walmart has a policy prohibiting unauthorized recording in its stores. u/YouHateMeIKnow identified himself as the man who took the video in the comments of the post.

“So I go to Walmart and pay for everything,” u/YouHateMeIKnow wrote. “The receipt comes out blank.” He told a greeter that the receipt came out blank, and the greeter then accused him of stealing.

Then, a different employee who saw u/YouHateMeIKnow purchase his items confirmed that he had paid, and that the machine had been printing blank receipts “for a while.” But the greeter didn’t believe either the employee or u/YouHateMeIKnow. That’s when the floor manager (in the yellow vest) got involved.

“[She] starts yelling about how I need to leave cause she won’t give me my stuff,” u/YouHateMeIKnow wrote. “I tell her again I’m not leaving without my shit and do what she has to do.” The floor manager then proceeds to call the police.

The redditor says when the police arrived, the store manager verified that u/YouHateMeIKnow had paid for his items.

“They offered me $50 and I said no,” u/YouHateMeIKnow wrote. “I wanted an apology from her the same way she berated me or else the video goes up. I got no apology so the video went up.” Complete article


Nail guns sold at Walmart recalled because they may discharge involuntarily 11/10/2021

Hart 18-gauge 2-inch brad nailers sold at Walmart have been recalled because “the contact sensor on the nailer can malfunction and involuntarily discharge a nail.”

According to an announcement with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 15,700 of the nail guns were sold in Walmart stores and online between April and September of this year for between $130 and $160. Complete article


Senators from Walmart and Target country craft anti-Amazon bill 11/09/2021

Amazon is the undisputed long-reigning giant of online sales, but that doesn’t mean it has no competitors. For instance, Walmart has reportedly made $67 billion in online sales this year, putting it at least in the ballpark with Amazon’s $386 billion.

Target, no slouch, sold $16 billion of goods online in 2020.

So when we think about or worry about Amazon’s dominance, we shouldn’t merely think of the retailer killing mom and pop businesses (the ones not killed by Walmart and Target), but as a competitor with megaretailers such as Walmart, Target, and Home Depot. Complete article


Walmart heir Alice Walton wants to reform healthcare 11/09/2021

The Walmart heir and philanthropist Alice Walton has had a keen interest in healthcare reform and has funded a number of initiatives aimed at improving health for the residents of northwest Arkansas, TalkBusiness reported Nov. 9.

As the only daughter of the Walmart founder Sam Walton, Ms. Walton currently has a net worth of around $68 billion. She has spent much of her time curating art rather than working for her father's company, but now she wants to make moves into healthcare.

She founded the Whole Health Institute after seeing research on the vast amounts of U.S. healthcare spending yet disproportionately low health outcomes. Complete article


Biden talks to Walmart, UPS, Target, other CEOs on supply issues 11/09/2021

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Tuesday with the chief executives of Walmart Inc (WMT.N), United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N), FedEx Corp (FDX.N) and Target Corp (TGT.N) to discuss speeding up deliveries and lowering prices for consumers.

Biden took to Twitter to say he understood the concerns about the supply chain gridlocks and the potential impact on Americans as they brace for the holiday season. He said he had talked to the executives and they were confident people will be able to get the items they want in the upcoming weeks.

"You're going to be able to get to the store, get to the outlets you're looking for, get the products you need, the gifts you want. That's what we've been working on," Biden said in the roughly 90-second video posted on Twitter.

Biden, facing political pressure over rising U.S. prices, has been organizing an effort to clear transportation bottlenecks, ease semiconductor shortages and pass a spending bill that officials hope will ease long-term inflation. Complete article


BRENHAM TX. POLICE RESPOND TO THEFTS FROM WALMART 11/08/2021

Bloomington woman tried stealing TVs from Ill. Walmart, prosecutors say 11/08/2021

Chemung County NY woman indicted for stealing over $1000 from Walmart 11/09/2021

Montrose Colorado Walmart Store Temporarily Closes Amid COVID-19 Activity 11/09/2021

Luther woman charged for larceny of purse in Walmart 11/10/2021 CADILLAC — A 38-year-old Luther woman faced a larceny charge during her recent arraignment in Wexford County’s 84th District Court. Michelle Marie Ide was charged with one count of larceny in a building for her connection with an incident on Sept. 3 in Haring Township.

Crimestoppers reward increased for information on Bullard Avenue, New Orleans, La. Walmart homicide 11/10/2021

Lewiston Me. man denies charges from Walmart parking lot shooting 11/10/2021

2 Relatives Charged With Walmart Retail Theft: Plainfield Ill. Blotter 11/09/2021

Suspected shoplifter batters three cops during arrest at Walmart in Leesburg Fla. 11/11/2021

A suspected shoplifter was arrested late Tuesday night after battling police at the Walmart in Leesburg.

Officers were dispatched to the store to aid Walmart loss prevention staff who had observed 20-year- old Brianna Rose Ledbetter of Leesburg concealing items in her clothes and in a backpack she had picked up while in the store, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.

As Ledbetter exited the store, she spotted the officers. She turned to re-enter the store, but was confronted by the loss prevention staff, so she dropped the backpack and tried to get away. The officers attempted to detain Ledbetter but she resisted, removing her coat in her attempt to escape. The officers were able to get Ledbetter on to the ground, but she kept her arms under her body while screaming at them. Complete article


Archdale NC Walmart fined for excessive price scanner errors 11/11/2021

ARCHDALE — A Guilford County Walmart is among 10 stores statewide that have been fined by the state because of excessive price-scanner errors.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market at 10250 S. Main St. paid $1,245 in fines because of the infraction.

An initial inspection by the state in April found a 3% error rate based on three overcharges in a 100-item lot, and a follow-up inspection in May found a 2.3% error rate based on seven overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed inspection in July.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanner systems in businesses to check for accuracy between what’s advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. Complete article


Workers claim Walmart skipped COBRA notice amid COVID-19 job loss 11/11/2021

(Reuters) - Walmart Stores Inc has been accused of failing to notify workers across the country who lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic of their right to continuing health insurance coverage temporarily paid for by the government.

Former Walmart employee Elba Vazquez and her husband filed a proposed class action in Fort Myers, Florida, federal court on Wednesday, claiming notices the retail giant sent out this year omitted key information, including that the federal government would subsidize insurance premiums until Sept. 30 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).

A spokesman for Arkansas-based Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Complete article


Walmart asks judge to trash lawsuit over recyclable labeling 11/11/2021

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walmart Inc has asked a federal judge in San Francisco to throw out renewed claims by Greenpeace that the company is deceiving California consumers by labeling some house-brand plastic products as recyclable when most Californians don't have access to facilities that recycle them.

In court papers filed on Wednesday, lawyers for the retail giant asked U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney to dismiss Greenpeace's new amended complaint, arguing the environmental group again failed to show it directly suffered any harm from Walmart's alleged deception.

The lawsuit is part of a string of cases alleging single-use plastic products are marketed as recyclable when they are in fact not because of the limited capacity of U.S. recycling facilities. Keurig Green Mountain and the Coca-Cola Company are among companies also facing similar lawsuits. Complete article


KNOW HER? Bethlehem Pa. Police Seek ID For Woman Who Snatched Walmart Worker’s Purse, Fled 11/10/2021

Attempted Murder Charge, Ill. Walmart Thefts, New Album Release 11/10/2021

Shoplifting suspect at Fla. Walmart nabbed with cocaine allegedly purchased from local tattoo artist 11/11/2021

Walmart to stop accepting military prescription health insurance 11/11/2021

Pa. Walmart Retail Theft 11/11/2021

Troopers: Schenectady woman illegally entered Wilton NY Walmart, faces burglary count 11/11/2021

Man found dead after fight outside south Tulsa Okla. Walmart, arrest made 11/13/2021

TULSA, Okla. — A man was found dead after police say he was involved in a fight outside a south Tulsa Walmart early Saturday, Tulsa police said.

Police responded to Walmart at 81st and South Lewis and found a man who was not moving in the parking lot around 4 a.m., Tulsa police said in a press release.

Police said the victim had in a fight with another man and he died from injuries sustained in the fight. Complete article


Woman dies after being hit by car in Monticello Arkansas Walmart parking lot 11/13/2021

MONTICELLO, Ark. — A woman is dead and a man in custody after an accident in the parking lot of a Monticello Walmart.

It happened at 3 p.m. Friday on Highway 425 north.

Investigators say the man was backing his car out of a parking space when he hit the woman and five vehicles. Complete article


Albion NY Walmart evacuated after fire in bathroom 11/11/2021

ALBION – Firefighters from Albion, Barre and Medina responded to a bathroom fire at the Albion Walmart at about 8:15 p.m.

Employees and customers were evacuated from the store when dark smoke was seen in a bathroom in the back of the store.

Firefighters doused the fire with a hose and it was contained to the bathroom. Albion Fire Chief Rob Connor said paper towels were on fire. Complete article


WITH VIDEO: One injured in pole crash at Mich. Walmart 11/11/2021

ALPENA — A driver joined a crowd of pole-crashers when she ran into a stop sign in the Alpena Walmart parking lot around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Responders transported the woman to MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena for evaluation after she misjudged a corner and crashed into the pole, damaging the front end of her car and bending the pole.

At least a dozen people have crashed into the pole near the store’s garden center, including a van that wrapped around the pole and a Camaro that climbed it nearly vertically, according to tow truck operator Kevin Miller, who responded to the crash.

“It’s a popular pole,” Miller said. Complete article


Holton Tx. Walmart arrest nets 22 ‘stolen’ iPhones, 3 Texas women 11/12/2021

UPDATE.... Walmart Has Received the All Clear and is Back Open... Walmart in Kenton Evacuated 11/11/2021 According to information from the department, the initial call was a report of a bomb threat.

East Brunswick NJ Public Schools Partner with Wal-Mart to Host Pfizer COVID Vaccination Clinics 11/11/2021

Police looking for man who stole $1,500 in merchandise from Colonial Heights Va. Walmart 11/12/2021 The suspect took several items to self-checkout. After scanning the products, he canceled the transaction before paying and then walked out with more than $1,500 in merchandise.

Two former Walmart employees caught shoplifting over $3K worth of items in Cordele Ga. 11/12/2021

UPDATE: Oklahoma City Bomb Squad gives all clear at Walmart location after bomb threat causes evacuation; store closed for rest of night 11/12/2021

Walmart announces expansion into Dallas-Fort Worth Tx. area with 2 new automated facilities 11/12/2021

Edgewood NM Walmart temporarily closed after fire breaks out 11/15/2021

EDGEWOOD, N.M. — The Walmart in Edgewood is now closed until further notice after a large fire broke out in the store.

Santa Fe County Fire Chief Jackie Lindsey told Action 7 News their department got calls about potentially several fires in the building around 8 pm Sunday. Firefighters, along with Santa Fe County Sheriff's deputies, evacuated the building.

Santa Fe County Fire, Bernalillo County Fire, Edgewood Fire and Albuquerque Fire and Rescue were among the agencies at this fire. The fire was deemed under control around 10:30 pm. No one was hurt.

No word what caused the fire or how badly the building was damaged. Complete article


No injuries reported in weekend car fire near Vicksburg Mississippi Walmart 11/15/2021

A car caught fire on Saturday evening in the parking lot of a shopping center at 2314 Iowa Blvd. in Vicksburg.

The driver managed to get out of the car, which continued moving and struck a sign outside the shopping center. No one was injured. Complete article


Walmart purse theft under investigation 11/15/2021

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On Friday, November 12, around 1:30 p.m., New York State Police responded to a report of grand larceny at a Walmart in Queensbury. Police say they are investigating the theft of a woman’s purse from her shopping cart.

According to police, the woman’s credit cards were used to make over $3,700 in unauthorized purchases. The victim told NEWS10 that it was all spent on gift cards.

Police said no arrests have been made. The incident remains under investigation by police. Complete article


Towaoc woman suspected in Colorado Walmart bomb threat 11/12/2021

Ocala man steals drone and clothing from Fla. Walmart 11/13/2021

Deputies: Stanley woman stole from Canandaigua NY Walmart for a month 11/13/2021

Saratoga Springs man charged with repeatedly shoplifting from NY Walmart 11/15/2021

Two Charged With Multiple Thefts From Pa. Walmart 11/15/2021

Police investigate after shots fired at Colerain Township Ohio Walmart, nearby communities 11/16/2021

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) - Police are investigating after shots were fired at the Colerain Township Walmart and nearby communities Monday night.

Reports of a dispute and shots fired at the Walmart on Colerain Avenue near the Ronald Reagan Highway in Colerain Township were called into dispatch after 11 p.m.

Then there were numerous reports of shots fired in nearby communities, which police believe are related.

Those other areas where gunfire was reported included Forest Avenue and Werner Avenue in Mount Healthy. Complete article


Woman With Toddler Charged After Her Gun Accidentally Goes Off in Mass. Walmart 11/16/2021

A Massachusetts woman is facing a criminal charge after the gun she had stored in her purse accidentally went off while she was inside a Walmart store in Northborough on Monday.

The 31-year-old Worcester woman, whose name has not been released, will be charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied building, Northborough police said.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday, police said they received a report of an accidental misfiring of a weapon at the Walmart at 200 Otis St. When they arrived, they determined that nobody had been hit and there were no injuries.

The bullet was recovered from the floor of the store. Complete article


Police investigating Sunday stabbing at Ind. Walmart 11/16/2021

Police are currently investigating a stabbing which occurred at the Walmart Supercenter in Greencastle late Sunday evening.

Greencastle Police Capt. Charles Inman and Officer Jared McDaniel were dispatched to the Walmart parking lot at about 10 p.m. It has been reported that a suspect fled the scene in a truck.

A patient was transported by ambulance to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital. The Greencastle Fire Department also responded and assisted at the scene with patient care. Complete article


Troy police arrest man who spent 4 hours in Mich. Walmart with 5-inch knife in pocket, officials say 11/16/2021

TROY, Mich. – A 26-year-old man was arrested after he spent four hours in a Walmart while in possession of a knife with a five-inch blade, Troy police said.

Officers said they were called at 6:34 p.m. Nov. 7 to the Walmart at 2001 West Maple Road in Troy.

Store security told police that Christopher Jimarre Jones, 26, of Detroit, had been inside the Walmart for more than four hours. They said he was making guests and customers uncomfortable, and at one point, told security he might return with a gun next time, officials said.

When officers spoke to Jones, they found the knife in his front jacket pocket, according to authorities. He was taken into custody for warrants and weapons violations, Troy police said. Complete article


Man sought after sexually assaulting 2 women at Walmart in Fayetteville, police say 11/15/2021

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Fayetteville police are looking for a man who they say sexually assaulted women in Walmart during two days earlier this month.

The incidents happened on Nov. 9 and 2 at the Walmart at 7701 Raeford Rd., according to a news release from Fayetteville police.

Police said in each incident, the man approached the women while they were shopping.

He then exposed his private area “and attempted to assault the female(s), or began masturbating once in view,” the news release said. Complete article


Bismarck North ND Walmart temporarily closed during hoax pipe bomb threat 11/15/2021

Police Seeking Information on Suspects Involved in Theft From the Clarion Pa. Walmart 11/15/2021

Cadiz Man Charged With Theft At Princeton Ky. Walmart 11/15/2021

Man receives 24 years for attempting to kill off-duty officer at South Carolina Walmart in Aug. 2020 11/16/2021

Man arrested after robbing a bank in Walmart Supercenter in Ada Okla. 11/16/2021

ADA, Okla. (KOKH) — Ada Police, along with Pontotoc County Sherriff's Office, the FBI and Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department took a Native-American man into custody early this morning after he stole from a Supercenter Walmart.

Officials say on Nov. 15, the subject Matthew Pettigrew walked into a Supercenter Walmart on Country Club Road in Ada, Okla, where he went to the teller line at Citizens Bank of Ada inside the Walmart, and handed them an envelope.

The note within the envelope said to place all the cash they had inside the envelope, to which the teller complied. Pettigrew left without further incident, police say. Complete article


Police: No serious injuries in hit-and-run at Norton Va. Walmart 11/16/2021

NORTON, Va. (WJHL) — Police say there were no serious injuries after a vehicle hit a man and a shopping cart with his child in it.

It happened Monday evening in front of the Walmart in Norton.

According to the Norton Police Department, the father was pushing the shopping cart with his 5-year-old child when a Ford Explorer hit the father and the cart. Complete article


Fire at Franklin Tenn. Walmart prompts evacuation 11/17/2021

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — Shoppers at a Walmart in Williamson County were evacuated Wednesday morning due to a fire.

Fire crews were called to Walmart located at Mallory Lane in Franklin for a fire located on the roof of the building. Evacuations were made, and all occupants at the store left safely.

Captain Scott Mainord stated that the fire started in an HVAC unit. Once firefighters got to the roof, they reportedly noticed some damage. Complete article


‘Who acts like this?’: Walmart worker says teens destroyed aisle after he asked them to stop filming 11/16/2021

Teens allegedly destroyed an aisle in Walmart after a worker asked them to stop filming in the store, according to a viral TikTok.

@crispy_chris01, or Christopher, is a Walmart employee who says he asked some teens to stop filming in the store. In response, the teens allegedly trashed an aisle and spilled various fluids and foods on the floor. Captioned “Walmart Woes or Walmart-O’s,” the six-second video got over 138,400 views and 10,100 likes since being posted on Monday.

Text overlay reads, “When you ask teenagers to stop filming inside the store, who acts like this?” Damage is done to the aisle, which is covered in what appears to be spilled milk and cereal.

Christopher alleged in the comments section: “Note: They were caught running and given a Trespass warning.” Complete article


Vans sues Walmart over alleged sneaker knockoffs 11/15/2021

(Reuters) - Skateboarding-shoe maker Vans Inc sued Walmart Inc in California federal court on Monday, accusing the retail giant of infringing its trademarks by selling copycat versions of more than 20 versions of its shoes.

All of the Walmart shoes cost less than $20 and are "cheap, poorly made, and confusingly similar" to $60 Vans, according to the complaint.

Vans also says Walmart knows that those it pays to review and advertise its shoes online specifically promote them as "dupes" or "knockoffs" that can be bought for less than the originals. Complete article


Walmart drones to deliver groceries to homes in Northwest Arkansas 11/18/2021

PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Walmart will use drones to deliver groceries to customers' homes in Northwest Arkansas.

The company will demonstrate the aircraft and delivery system later Thursday morning in Pea Ridge. 40/29 News will gather video of the aircraft and broadcast it on 40/29 News at 5.

Handout video from Walmart has been embedded in the video player above.

The service will use Zipline's aircraft to deliver certain health and wellness and consumable items to homes, according to a news release. Complete article


Angry Shopper Freaks Out On Va. Walmart Employees in Video Viewed Over 5 Million Times 11/16/2021

Chicopee man pleads not guilty in connection with Hadley Mass. Walmart shooting last Aug. 11/16/2021

Crime Stoppers | Woman sought in theft of purse at UrbanaIll. Walmart 11/16/2021

Peeping Tom arrested after taking photos under men’s bathroom stalls at Ga. Walmart, police say 11/18/2021

Pair of shoplifters sought in heist at Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza Fla. 11/17/2021

Police Investigate Shooting in Joliet Ill. Walmart Parking Lot Thursday Evening 11/18/2021

Joliet police say they are investigating a shooting that took place in a Walmart parking lot Thursday evening.

The shooting took place at the Walmart, located at 1401 Route 59, shortly before 6 p.m., according to officials.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that only property was struck by gunfire. No injuries have been reported. Complete article


Ohio man charged with robbery at Elko Nevada Walmart 11/19/2021

ELKO – An Ohio man was jailed in Elko this week on a robbery charge after allegedly threatening a Walmart clerk in order to obtain a pair of Apple AirPods.

Andrew M. Smith, 31, of Columbus was booked Wednesday on $40,000 bail.

According to a criminal complaint, he entered Elko’s Walmart around closing time and convinced a clerk to open the locked case where the electronics were kept. After being shown the AirPods he refused to return them and instead threatened the clerk.

Smith told the clerk he would find out where he lived, and pulled on his nametag, the complaint says. When a second employee approached, Smith fled the store. Complete article


Louisville man accused of shooting video of woman in Ky. Walmart restroom 11/19/2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man is accused of shooting video of a woman while hiding inside the ladies room in a local Walmart.

According to an arrest report, the incident took place on Thursday, Nov. 18, shortly before 12 p.m. at the Walmart at 2020 Bashford Manor Lane.

Police say a female employee said she was inside one of the stalls in the women's restroom when she noticed a smart phone in one of the stalls next to her. She said it was pointed upward toward her while she was using the restroom.

"She was startled and immediately fled out of the restroom extremely upset and notified a supervisor," the arrest report states. "At that time, Walmart security reviewed video footage of a black male subject fleeing out of the females' restroom immediately after the victim." Complete article


Kansas City man makes threat at Brookfield Missouri Walmart 11/19/2021

A Kansas City man is facing a felony charge of making a terrorist threat after making threats in Brookfield's Walmart on Nov. 17.

Court documents say Brent Eric Bloss, formerly of Meadville, was reportedly inside the Brookfield Walmart with a dog and was allegedly making comments about not being able to see his kids and about all of the cops in Linn County dying.

Bloss continued to make these comments as he was being arrested and processed. He reportedly told police he made similar statements in Kansas City, but was never arrested.

He then later apologized and told police he missed his children. Complete article


Man charged with simple battery after inappropriately touching toddler at Dawsonville Ga. Walmart 11/19/2021

A Dawsonville man has been charged with one misdemeanor count of simple battery after allegedly inappropriately touching a toddler at the local Walmart last Saturday.

Manuel Morales-Tzaj, 47, was arrested by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 13, according to an arrest report released Nov. 19.

A warrant for Morales-Tzaj’s arrest alleged that sometime between 7-8 p.m., he touched the female child while she was standing up in a grocery cart.

The incident was immediately reported, and a DCSO deputy responded to the supermarket, located at 98 Power Center Drive, at about 7:30 p.m. Complete article


Kansas mom sues Walmart for allegedly giving COVID-19 vaccine to daughter without consent 11/18/2021

OLATHE, Kan. — An Olathe, Kansas mother has filed a lawsuit against Walmart over the COVID-19 vaccine.

The lawsuit alleges that the woman’s 15-year-old girl was vaccinated by a Walmart employee at the store’s pharmacy without parental consent.

The 15-year-old girl wanted the COVID-19 vaccine so she could hang out with her friends.

“The biggest problem I have with this situation is that Walmart vaccinated my daughter without my consent and knowledge,” said the girl’s mom Michelle Tonkinson. Complete article


Walmart Sued for Continuing to Sell Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder 11/19/2021

There are thousands of pending lawsuits involving Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder. The cosmetic item is linked to many cancers, including mesothelioma.

A new legal claim regarding the Baby Powder is quite unique: It’s directed at a retail giant, not the manufacturing and pharmaceutical giant.

A lawsuit was filed in the United States Western District Court of New York against Walmart, Inc. The claimant filed the lawsuit “individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” making it a class action lawsuit. The claimant alleges Walmart continued selling Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder through its pharmacy store locations despite the much-publicized link to cancer. Complete article


Florida Jury Hits Walmart With $2M Verdict in Federal Personal Injury Litigation: 'Motion Practice Was Huge' 11/19/2021

The federal trial took place over seven days but the jury deliberated for only two hours.

The jury found that Walmart was 100% responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries and awarded her a $2 million verdict. Complete article


South African workers strike at Walmart-owned Massmart 11/19/2021

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of workers, disgruntled over low wages and changes to terms and conditions of employment, went on strike on Friday at companies owned by Walmart-led (WMT.N) Massmart Holdings (MSMJ.J) in South Africa, a labour union said.

The South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), an affiliate of the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), said it expected the indefinite strike to draw in more than 18,000 members across the country.

"We expect all the members to join the strike," said SACCAWU spokesperson Sithembele Tshwete, adding some workers started picketing outside some Massmart stores at 0400 GMT. Complete article


Suwannee County Fla. Sheriff’s Deputies looking for the four women who emptied cash registers at Walmart 11/17/2021

Opioid Trial Against CVS, Walgreens, Walmart Winding Down 11/17/2021

Kirksville convict now accused of stealing more than $750 in merchandise from Missouri Walmart 11/18/2021

Post Falls Idaho Walmart to close for cleaning 11/19/2021

Farmington woman arrested for a petit larceny committed at NY Walmart. 11/18/2021

Shoplifter begins shooting at a Walmart in northwest Oklahoma City 11/20/2021

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma City Police respond to a shoplifting call around 7 p.m. tonight at a Walmart in NW Oklahoma City that turned into a shooting.

Officials said the shoplifter fired “three to four shots” as officers attempted to apprehend the suspect at the Walmart on Belle Isle Blvd.

Authorities said no one was injured during the shooting and the suspect is now in custody. Complete article

Oklahoma City man arrested after firing shots inside metro Walmart while attempting to steal bike 11/22/2021


Police: Man shot in parking lot of Walmart in Greendale Wisc. 11/21/2021

GREENDALE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Greendale police are investigating a shooting that happened at the Walmart on South 76th Street.

Police say the shooting happened just after 3:15 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities report a 23-year-old man was shot in the parking lot and was later transported to an area hospital for treatment. Complete article


‘Everything About Walmart Is a Lie'; Walmart Workers Demand $15 Minimum Wage 11/11/2021

In 2021, wages have grown at the fastest pace in nearly 20 years. Even Amazon pays workers $18/hour, but Walmart refuses to raise wages for most workers above $12/hour.

Workers say they can’t afford to live. Many workers have to work 2 to 3 jobs to be able to afford the cost of living. And more Walmart workers rely on food stamps, rental assistance, Medicaid, and Medicare than at any corporation in America. Those who do get health insurance through Walmart struggle to afford expensive premiums.

In September 2021, Walmart announced that they would be raising workers hourly wages. But the raises came at the cost of losing their decade-long tradition of quarterly bonuses. Many workers have not been given the proposed wages, yet still had their bonuses taken away.

Now workers are calling on Walmart to raise its minimum wage to $15/hour. Complete article


Jury holds CVS, Walgreens and Walmart responsible for role in opioid crisis 11/23/2021

CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal jury said Tuesday in a verdict that could set the tone for U.S. city and county governments that want to hold pharmacies accountable for their roles in the opioid crisis.

Lake and Trumbull counties blamed the three chain pharmacies for not stopping the flood of pills that caused hundreds of overdose deaths and cost each of the two counties about $1 billion, their attorney said.

How much the pharmacies must pay in damages will be decided in the spring by a federal judge.

It was the first time pharmacy companies had completed a trial to defend themselves in a drug crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the past two decades. Complete article


Man caught shoplifting at WV Walmart arrested for heroin 11/18/2021

Federal Trial For El Paso Tx. Walmart Shooting Suspect Could Be Held In 2023 11/19/2021

Phelps hearing: Missouri Prosecutor says Phelps and Norton would search for potential victims at Walmart or online 11/19/2021

Police: Malta man arrested on multiple charges after NY Walmart theft investigation 11/20/2021

Woman takes bus to Southgate Mich. Walmart store to steal Pokemon cards 11/21/2021

Help Police Catch Pa. Walmart Shoplifting Suspect 11/20/2021

Swansea Mass. Police arrest three after incident at Walmart 11/20/2021

Police looking for person who fired gun at cars in Lynchburg Va. Walmart parking lot 11/23/2021

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Police are searching for the person responsible for firing shots in the parking lot of a Lynchburg Walmart over the weekend.

According to the Lynchburg Police Department, gunshots were reported at the Walmart in the 3900 block of Wards Road around 10:27 p.m. Sunday.

Callers told police they heard several shots and saw a silver sedan leaving the scene.

Officers located two vehicles that had been shot and found several bullet casings in the area. Complete article


Woman says man pointed gun at her over parking dispute at Tx. Walmart 11/23/2021

HOUSTON – Houston police are investigating a road rage incident that occurred at a Walmart on Monday.

Arleet Lores said an angry driver targeted her while she was at the Walmart on the west Beltway near Bissonet.

Lores said the incident started when she was backing into a parking spot and the driver behind her grew impatient and cut her off, nearly hitting her vehicle.

“I honked at him. He just got really mad and started cursing me out,” Lores said. “So, I kind of looked at him and I was like ‘It’s not that serious.’”

She said she stayed in her car for a bit and called her boyfriend to explain what happened. She said the driver even circle back around and pointed a gun at her.

“That’s when he loaded his gun and he pointed it straight at my face,” Lores said. Complete article


Madison Tenn. Walmart employee attacked with hammer, box cutter 11/24/2021

MADISON, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 19-year-old woman was taken into custody after a Walmart employee in Madison was assaulted.

According to an arrest warrant, Tonisha Mitchell and her boyfriend confronted the victim as he was clocking out at Walmart. Police said a fight broke out due to ongoing issues between the two parties.

At one point, Mitchell reportedly swung a hammer at the victim.

An affidavit states bystanders attempted to break up the fight and one even took the hammer away from Mitchell. However, officers said Mitchell came up from behind the victim, grabbed a work-issued box cutter and sliced the victim with it. The victim suffered cuts to his head, which reportedly required seven stitches. Complete article


Video shows thief threaten NM Walmart employee with pepper spray 11/24/2021

LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KRQE) – Los Lunas Police are searching for a brazen thief who was caught on camera using pepper spray to make her getaway. Surveillance video from Walmart earlier this month shows an unidentified man and woman with pink hair walking in just after 9 p.m.

Minutes later, the video shows them leaving with a shopping car full of unpaid goods valued at approximately $1,000. When an employee steps in to stop them, the woman pulls out pepper spray and threatens him. The couple was then able to get away.

Now, police are asking for your help. If you recognize either of them call Los Lunas Police at 505-839-7751 or submit anonymous tips through the Los Lunas Police Department’s “STOP IT” app (enter access code: loslunaspd). Complete article


KCSO: Two Georgia men arrested in connection to string of Tenn. and Ga. Walmart thefts totaling over $200,000 11/24/2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Two men are in custody after being arrested in connection to a string of Walmart thefts totaling more than $200,000, a report from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office reads.

Officers responded to the Walmart on Walbrook drive Monday after receiving a call from a witness that said they saw Tyrone King, 28, in the store loading up a diaper bag with $5083.87 of merchandise. Tyrone King reportedly had a history of stealing from Walmarts and was wanted on charges out of Georgia. Officers arrived and confirmed that Tyrone King was involved in over 29 Walmart incidents, then attempted to take him into custody, the report said.

Tyrone King allegedly tried to run through the parking lot, and was forcibly taken into custody after being tasered. Officers then identified the driver of a car with Georgia plates as Travis King, Tyrone King’s brother, and made contact with him.

A K-9 did a sniff of the car, which officers then searched, finding a loaded revolver and another $7,600 worth of stolen merchandise, the report said. Complete article


Walmart pulls children's toy that swears and sings in Polish about doing cocaine 11/23/2021

TORONTO -- An Ontario grandmother who bought an educational toy for her 15-month-old granddaughter was shocked when the dancing cactus started swearing and singing about doing cocaine.

"This toy uses swear words and talking about cocaine use," Ania Tanner told CTV News Toronto. "This is not what I ordered for my granddaughter."

The cactus was sold on Walmart’s website as an educational toy for about $26 and sings songs in English, Spanish and Polish.

But Tanner, who is Polish, said when she listened to the Polish lyrics, the cactus was singing about doing cocaine, drug abuse, suicide, depression and used profanities.

"It just so happens that I am Polish and when I started to listen to the songs and I heard the words," she said. "I was in shock. I thought what is this some kind of joke?" Complete article


CEO accused of showing inappropriate videos to 2 kids in Katy Tx. Walmart, court documents show 11/24/2021

HOUSTON – A CEO of an oil and gas drilling company in El Campo showed inappropriate videos to two children at a Walmart store in Katy, according to allegations in court documents.

Bryan Charles Linn, 62, of Katy, is the chief executive officer at BLDS. LLC., an oil and gas drilling company. Linn is charged with displaying harmful material to a minor, a misdemeanor.

The charge stems from an alleged incident on Nov. 19 at a Walmart store in the 25100 block of Market Place Drive in Katy in which a mother reported that she was in the shoe aisle with her 7-year-old daughter and her 4-year-old daughter, and that Linn held his phone in front of the girls showing a naked woman touching herself. Documents indicate that Linn was hiding behind a stand and that when the mother told a store employee and pointed, Linn quickly left the store. Complete article


Ellsworth Maine won’t allow the city assessor to demand 600 out-of-town leases from Walmart 11/23/2021

As part of his efforts to review how big retail giant Walmart’s local property tax bill should be, Ellsworth City Assessor Larry Gardner wanted the company to provide him with copies of its 600 lease agreements it has across the country.

Walmart does not own all of the buildings where its stores are located — though it does in Ellsworth. Gardner, who is reviewing Walmart’s 2020 Ellsworth property tax bill after the company filed an appeal with the city, said that those 600 lease agreements from around the country can help him determine what the value of the company’s local property should be.

The city’s appeals board, however, didn’t agree. They rejected that request Monday, but decided it would be germane to get copies of lease agreements it has for its stores in Maine, and perhaps for New England, too.

Last year, Gardner assessed the value of the Myrick Street property, where Walmart has a Supercenter, at about $20 million but the company is appealing that assessment, saying it should be closer to $10 million. Complete article


Man arrested for indecent exposure at Fayetteville NC Walmart 11/23/2021

Stolen Thanksgiving Feast: Pueblo Colorado Mom Grateful To Police And Walmart For Saving Holiday Celebration 11/23/2021

Deputies: Canandaigua man stole clothing from NY Walmart store 11/23/2021

25-year-old man facing peeping Tom charges after Ga. Walmart incident in Griffin 11/23/2021

Man dies after being shot multiple times in parking lot of north Austin Tx. Walmart 11/25/2021

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened in the parking lot of a north Austin Walmart the night before Thanksgiving.

Investigators say someone called 911 Wednesday night after 10:30 p.m. to report that a man was shot at the Walmart on on Norwood Park Boulevard, near U.S. 183 and Interstate 35. When officers arrived they found him with several gunshot wounds.

Police tried to save the man while they waited for EMS medics to arrive. The victim was later taken to a hospital, where he died.

“The shooting did happen in the parking lot of the Walmart and did not happen inside,” Austin Police officer Juan Asencio said. “As of right now we don’t have great descriptions. We do know there are multiple suspects.” Complete article


Woman Gunned Down in Thanksgiving Shooting Outside La. Walmart 11/26/2021

Awoman has been injured in a Thanksgiving night shooting during a child custody exchange in Louisiana, said police.

Opelousas Police said the woman was injured just after 5 p.m. in a Walmart parking lot on November 25, reported KLFY.

Police Chief Martin McLendon told the news outlet the injured female victim was the aunt of the child, who was not hurt during the shooting. Complete article


Graham NC police investigating after vehicle found in Walmart parking lot with multiple bullet holes 11/26/2021

GRAHAM, N.C. (WGHP) — Officers are investigating after a car was found in a Walmart parking lot with numerous bullet holes.

Around 9 p.m. officers from the Graham Police Department were called to the Walmart on Graham Hopedale Road in Burlington about a shooting that had happened in Graham.

They found a vehicle at the Walmart that had been hit by gunshots “multiple times.”

According to police, the shooting happened on the 400 block of E Hill Street in Graham. They located multiple shell casings at the location. Complete article


Woman was in 'meditative position' when she was killed by driver in Walmart parking lot 11/25/2021

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman, who police say was sitting in a meditative position in the parking lot of a Walmart in north Houston, was struck and killed Wednesday by a driver.

It happened at about 2:45 p.m. in the 4400 block of North Freeway near East Crosstimbers.

The driver failed to see the woman on the ground and his rear tire ran over the woman's head, according to police.

Officials with the Houston Fire Department later arrived and found the woman, who is believed to be homeless, slumped over a pool of blood. Complete article


Complaint alleges Santa Fe NM Walmart manager was stabbed escorting disruptive man from store 11/23/2021

A Santa Fe man was charged with aggravated battery after being accused of stabbing the general manager at a local Walmart on Monday afternoon.

Donaven Vanwijkweijer, 24, was charged Tuesday with aggravated battery and three counts of resisting arrest after he was accused of creating a volatile incident at the Walmart at 3251 Cerrillos Road, according to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

Witnesses told police Vanwijkweijer was seen outside the Murphy’s Express convenience store outside the Walmart at about 2 p.m., threatening people with a pocket knife, the complaint said. Santa Fe police were dispatched to the Walmart about two hours later after callers said Vanwijkweijer stabbed an employee at the store. Complete article


Electrical fire at Walmart in Dilworth Minn., no serious damage 11/24/2021

DILWORTH, Minn. (KFGO) – Dilworth and Moorhead fire crews responded to Walmart late Wed. afternoon after an electrical fire.

Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting, who is also the Dilworth Fire Chief, says the fire was in a piece of refrigeration equipment. He says the fire was difficult to put out because there was still electricity going to the unit.

Damage was not significant. Complete article


If You Bought Any of These 4 Drinks at Walmart, Throw Them Out, FDA Warns 11/24/2021

No matter where you live in the U.S., there's almost no escaping the popularity of Walmart. More than 220 million people shop there every week for everything from groceries and beauty products to electronics and clothing. But if you recently purchased certain drinks at a Walmart location, you should get rid of them immediately due to a serious health risk they could pose. Read on to see which beverages should go into the bin.

Walmart is recalling Country Time Lemonade, Tang, Arizona Tea Powdered Tea, and Kool-Aid.

On Nov. 20, KraftHeinz announced it was recalling specific containers of Country Time Lemonade, Tang, Arizona Tea powdered beverages, and limited Kool-Aid powdered beverages. According to a notice posted on its website the same day, the recall also includes products that were sold at Walmart and Sam's Club locations across the U.S. Complete article


Walmart ordered to pay $10M to SC woman after she stepped on rusty nail in store 11/26/2021

A Florence County jury awarded a woman $10 million after she stepped on a rusty nail at a Walmart which led to her losing most of her right leg.

In 2015, April Jones stepped on the nail in the main aisle of a Beltline Drive store in Florence and suffered a severe foot injury, according to a news release from Jones’ lawyers. It led to an infection, which eventually led to three amputation surgeries. She sued the big box chain in 2017.

The first amputation was the second toe. Later, three more toes were amputated, leaving only her big toe. The last amputation was right above her knee. Complete article


Hadley Mass. Walmart Aug. shooting suspect to be held without bail 11/23/2021

GOTCHA! Woman, 38, Caught Trying To Steal TVs From Jersey Shore NJ Walmart: Brick PD 11/24/2021

Pa. State Police Report on Retail Theft at Hometown Walmart 11/23/2021

Police investigating sexual assault at Walmart parking lot in east Tulsa Okla. 11/24/2021

Deadly shooting at Westwood Ohio Walmart leaves shoppers panicked, neighborhood leaders furious 11/27/2021

WESTWOOD, Ohio (WKRC) - One person is dead after a shooting at a busy west side Walmart that left shoppers panicked.

The deadly shooting happened at the Walmart on Ferguson Road in Westwood. Police identified the man killed as 24-year-old Jamontea Brown.

Tears, hugs and anger were the actions and emotions seen throughout the parking lot Saturday afternoon. People quickly started to panic when they say someone fired a gun near the Walmart. Complete article


One person in custody after shooting outside Kennewick, Washington Walmart 11/26/2021

Sounds of gunshots left Black Friday shoppers in Kennewick, Washington panicked.

Witnesses told KVEW, the ABC affiliate in the region, that the gunshots appeared to come from across the parking lot of a Walmart early Friday afternoon.

According to the Kennewick Police Department, a suspect was taken into custody and there is no active threat. Complete article

Tri-Cities Walmart shooting suspect says he was stealing to feed his fentanyl addiction 11/29/2021


Loss prevention officer shot on the job, fired from Alabama Walmart months later 11/26/2021

Brad Scurry had been trying to talk to an accused shoplifter when he was shot at the East Point Walmart last year.

EAST POINT, Ala. — Over the last year, a loss prevention officer has been recovering after he was shot by an accused shoplifter while working at the East Point Walmart.

Brad Scurry had been trying to talk to the accused shoplifter when he was shot. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and said the bullet went through his arm, then his chest, and fragments of the bullet lacerated multiple organs.

Scurry survived and was able to go back to work. Many rooted for him for being brave enough to even go back to work after being shot. However, months later, the former National Guardsmen said he was taken aback when he was written up his first day back to work.

"That was the beginning of the end I guess," he said. Complete article


Woman in wheelchair rushed to hospital after struck by vehicle in Edmond Okla. Walmart parking lot 11/26/2021

EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) – A woman in a wheelchair was rushed to a hospital after she was struck by a vehicle in an Edmond Walmart parking lot.

The accident occurred at around 2 p.m. Friday at the Walmart near Interstate 35.

The woman was treated for minor injuries at the hospital. Complete article


Florida men accused of stealing semi-trailers from Walmart and other distribution sites 11/29/2021

Detectives say the duo wanted wooden pallets for their pallet supplier business.

PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Florida business owner and one of his employees are accused of coordinating the thefts of 25 semi-trailers to take nearly 5,000 wooden pallets for their pallet supplier company in Polk County.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says the two men were arrested and accused of stealing roughly $704,487 worth of pallets.

According to detectives, the duo operated JCI Pallet in Plant City. The sheriff's office says 45-year-old owner Bobby John Herrera, Jr., of West Palm Beach, and 36-year-old on-site manager Nicholas Nigel Howard, of Opa Locka, are charged with a combined 67 felonies.

The combined value of the stolen trailers and pallets was, according to law enforcement, about $935,663. Complete article


Walmart, Target and other big chains will rake in cash this holiday. Small stores may not be so lucky 11/27/2021

(CNN) — Many Americans are shopping small Saturday to support mom-and-pop clothing, toy, furniture, sporting goods, hardware and electronics’ stores.

But this year’s Small Business Saturday promotion is unlikely to change the fortunes of independent shops in America, which have diverged dramatically from their larger rivals.

Small retailers have been squeezed out throughout the pandemic and are at a significant disadvantage navigating the current supply chain crisis, rising inflation and the shortage of workers, said retail analysts and supply chain experts.

First, as Covid-19 spread last year, many small shops did not meet the criteria of “essential” businesses and had to close down. Their larger competitors such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot and others were able to stay open. Complete article


Mooresville Walmart workers protest in support of union, higher pay and more 11/26/2021

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — On Friday morning, employees at the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Mooresville walked out in protest.

Around 9 a.m., the Mooresville workers led a strike and started a rally outside the store to express their demands:

$15/hr minimum wage.
Right to form a union without interference.
Equal compensation for equal work.
Affordable benefits and paid time off.
Consistent schedule.
Strong COVID-19 policy. Complete article


Biden to Meet With CEOs of Walmart, CVS on Holiday Supply-Chain Issues 11/29/2021

President Joe Biden plans to meet Monday with the CEOs of Walmart Inc, CVS Health Corp and other retailers as part of his efforts to tackle supply chain bottlenecks and inflation ahead of Christmas.

The session, which coincides with this weekend’s start to the holiday shopping season, will include executives from the grocery, electronics, and pharmacy sectors, and address efforts to make sure shelves are stocked during the busy holiday shopping season, according to a White House official.

The CEOs of Best Buy, Food Lion, Samsung North America, Qurate Retail Group, Todos Supermarket, Etsy, Mattel and Kroger are scheduled to attend in person, while Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and CVS CEO Karen Lynch are among those planning to attend remotely, the official said.

Following the meeting, Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks on White House efforts to curb supply chain disruptions and lower the cost of goods, according to a White House statement. Complete article


Walmart Executive Leaving Company After 22 Years As It Prepares For Busy Holiday Season And Growing Supply Chain Issues 11/29/2021

Walmart announced Monday that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs would leave the company after working over two decades at the world’s largest retail business.

Biggs, who joined Walmart in 2000, will remain chief financial officer (CFO) of the company until a successor is named, and he will assist with the transition, remaining as an associate until early 2023, the company said in a press release.

“Brett’s high character and strong leadership have played a central role during one of the most significant periods in the company’s history,” Walmart President and Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said in the press release. Complete article


Walmart said she shoplifted; jury awards Alabama woman $2.1 million 11/30/2021

MOBILE, Ala. (AP/WKRG) — An Alabama woman who says she was falsely arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart and then threatened by the company after her case was dismissed has been awarded $2.1 million in damages.

A Mobile County jury on Monday ruled in favor of Lesleigh Nurse of Semmes, news outlets reported.

Nurse said in a lawsuit that she was stopped in November 2016 when trying to leave a Walmart with groceries she said she already paid for, according to a local news outlet. She said she used self-checkout but the scanning device froze. Workers didn’t accept her explanation and she was arrested for shoplifting.

Her case was dismissed a year later, but then she received letters from a Florida law firm threatening a civil suit if she didn’t pay $200 as a settlement, according to her lawsuit. That was more than the cost of the groceries she was accused of stealing.

Nurse said Walmart instructed the law firm to send the letters — and that she wasn’t the only one receiving them.

“The defendants have engaged in a pattern and practice of falsely accusing innocent Alabama citizens of shoplifting and thereafter attempting to collect money from the innocently accused,” the suit contended.

Nexstar’s WKRG-TV reported that the trial featured testimony that Walmart and other major retailers routinely use such settlements in states where laws allow it, and that Walmart made hundreds of millions of dollars this way in a two-year period. Complete article


FTC orders Walmart, Amazon, Kroger and more to turn over information on empty shelves, high prices 11/30/2021

The Federal Trade Commission said Monday that it is investigating the causes behind ongoing supply chain disruptions and how they are "causing serious and ongoing hardships for consumers and harming competition in the U.S. economy."

The FTC said it is ordering Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, other large wholesalers and suppliers including Procter & Gamble Co., Tyson Foods and Kraft Heinz Co. “to turn over information to help study causes of empty shelves and sky-high prices.”

Orders also are being sent to C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. and McLane Co, Inc. Complete article


Jennings La. police investigating bomb threat made towards Walmart on Wednesday 11/24/2021

BC Canada Walmart firebug due back in court in January for June 2020 arson 11/26/2021

Deming NM Walmart store closed amid bomb threat 11/27/2021

Belleview Man arrested after attempting to steal sweatpants, t-shirt from Fla. Walmart 11/27/2021

Shoplifting complaint at Dartmouth Mass. Walmart leads to arrest of suspected drug dealer 11/28/2021 During booking, officers also seized $1,777 from Tavares.

Woman arrested after showing up at Washington City Utah Walmart in stolen U-Haul – St George News 11/28/2021

WANTED: Shoplifting suspect who targeted Boutte La. Wal-mart 11/30/2021

Fact check: No evidence Florida man posed as Walmart employee, made $2,000 11/29/2021

Arizona cop who shot and killed Walmart customer in wheelchair fired from force 11/30/2021

The officer fired nine rounds after appearing to order the man to not enter a home improvement store.

An Arizona police officer was fired Tuesday, a day after he shot and killed a 61-year-old man in a wheelchair while working off-duty as a security guard at a Walmart.

Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus told reporters he was "deeply disturbed and troubled" by the actions of Ryan Remington, a four-year veteran of the police force. Authorities released footage of the shooting Tuesday.

"His use of deadly force in this incident is a clear violation of department policy and directly contradicts multiple aspects of our use of force and training," he said. Complete article


Arrest in violent car robbery at Ohio Walmart that seriously hurt elderly woman 12/03/2021 Crime happened on November 16, over two weeks before being reported in media.

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A man is under arrest in a violent auto robbery that seriously injured the victim, an 88-year-old woman.

The victim suffered a dislocated and fractured shoulder when her vehicle was stolen on Nov. 16, Forest Park police wrote in court records.

It happened outside Walmart on Smiley Avenue, in the southeast corner of the Winton Road/Interstate 275 interchange, according to the document. ....

Court records indicate Pryor is homeless. Complete article


Woman assaults two officers at Walmart: Mayfield Heights Ohio Police Blotter 12/02/2021 Crime happened on November 20, almost two weeks before being reported in media.

Theft: Mayfield Road

Officers responded to Walmart Nov. 20 for a report of a shoplifter filling bags with assorted items. The woman subsequently assaulted two officers and is facing multiple charges upon review by the prosecutor. Complete article


Butler Twp. Pa. Police Searching For Walmart Theft Suspects 11/29/2021

Walmart heirs to candy conglomerates: These are the 25 richest families in the US 11/27/2021

Deputies looking for women who stole $1,300 worth of liquor from Walmart 11/30/2021

Windom woman charged with Minn. Walmart theft reportedly went there for Christmas gifts 11/30/2021

2 arrested for attempting to steal fire hydrant from Napa Ca. Walmart parking lot 11/30/2021

California man charged in connection with two Walmart counterfeit cases 11/30/2021