Top 10 Most INSANE Black Fridays Ever
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
These infamous Black Fridays shocked the world. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most bonkers Black Fridays throughout the years. Our countdown of the most insane Black Friday years includes 1996, 2005, 2011, and more!
10 Most Insane Black Friday Years
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most bonkers Black Fridays throughout the years.
1996
November 1996 saw the release of “Jingle All the Way,” in which Arnold Schwarzenegger embarks on a perilous quest to acquire a Turbo Man doll. While perhaps not as over-the-top, Arnold’s plight before Christmas echoed what many experienced on Black Friday that year. It was an especially hectic season with consumers rushing to get their hands on “101 Dalmatians” and “Space Jam” merch, not to mention the Nintendo 64. Tickle Me Elmo was arguably the most sought-after item with limited supplies. By 7:15 at one Target in Ohio, the fuzzy red dolls were all gone, leaving parents seeking a cure for their Elmo Fever. The desperation was felt across virtually all retail stores with Elmo-Mania only amplifying as Christmas drew closer.
2013
As some Walmart employees protested over wages in 2013, others spent Black Friday ensuring a series of shopping stampedes. At an Ohio Walmart, a little girl was reportedly sent to the hospital after being trampled over. Multiple arrests were made at another Walmart in California where a police officer broke his hand and finger attempting to defuse a brawl. In New Jersey, a woman allegedly spit on a mother and her child. Before the police could finish arresting her, an officer had to wrestle off a disgruntled man yanking at his uniform. Walmart wasn’t the only outlet that saw consumers and cops clash. A Kohl’s parking lot in Chicago became a shooting site as an officer took aim at suspected shoplifters.
2005
In addition to marking the first Cyber Monday, 2005 introduced the world to YouTube. With injury-related videos proving immediately popular, Black Friday was bound to provide fodder for the platform. A Walmart in Grand Rapids, Michigan saw more than one customer sent to the hospital. Among them was Duretha Arnold-Youngblood, a pregnant woman who seriously injured her leg as the crowd trampled over her. Adding to the pain, the incident was recorded and soon made the rounds online. Rather than question the store’s lack of security, most users made fun of Arnold as she picked her wig off the floor. The video - as well as the reaction - said a mouthful about what Black Friday was becoming and what the digital era has turned us into.
2010
Big-box stores on Black Friday are often compared to war zones. Cpl. Phillip Duggan is proof this isn’t an exaggeration. At a Best Buy in 2010, Duggan and three fellow Marines volunteered for Toys for Tots. Attempting to break up an altercation between employees and shoplifter Tracey Attaway, Duggan felt a blade across his back. Duggan only needed a few stitches while Attaway received a life sentence with 30 arrests already on his record. You didn’t need to wear a uniform to feel like you were in combat that Black Friday. Keith Krantz was nearly stomped to death at a Target in Buffalo, New York while Lanessa Lattimore was arrested after allegedly cutting in line at a Wisconsin Toys “R” Us and making gun threats.
1998
Furby could be seen as a missing link between the more traditional toys of yesteryear and the tech-savvy presents that have become more prevalent in the 21st century. The gifts might change, but Black Friday hasn’t - and consumers were overcome with Furby Fever in 1998. In New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Furbies quickly disappeared from the shelves as 500 Black Friday shoppers reportedly fought through Walmart’s doors. More than 1,000 shoppers were estimated to be waiting outside a Walmart in Pennsylvania at 3:00 AM, many eager to get their hands on a Furby by any means necessary. With only so many Furbies available, a KB Toy Store in Indianapolis instituted a two-per-family rule. Here’s hoping you didn’t have three or more kids.
2012
Remember when people thought the world would end in 2012? December 21 didn’t live up to the hype, but November 23 was unsurprisingly apocalyptic. A Massachusetts man left his girlfriend’s young son in a car outside a Kmart. The police thankfully rescued the child while his babysitter searched for a flatscreen. Driving home with his family, a father in Palo Alto fell asleep behind the wheel, resulting in two of his four daughters dying. A female shoplifter threatened an officer with a gun in Michigan while a Sears shopper in Texas allegedly pulled a firearm after somebody else punched him for cutting. One of the most senseless acts of violence occurred in Tallahassee, Florida where two people were shot over a parking spot at Walmart.
2016
2016 was a year defined by tragedy and social unrest. America’s frustration climaxed in November with a divisive election. Should it come as a surprise that people didn’t hold back their pent-up rage as Black Friday rolled around? Some shopped with their fists, as was the case for a group outside a Modesto Mall. Between Thanksgiving night and Black Friday, multiple shootings were reported across the country. One man lost his life at a Reno Walmart over a parking space. Three people would eventually be charged for a fatal shooting that occurred at a New Jersey Mall. Of course, the Black Friday mayhem wasn’t limited to the U.S., as a topless man in Vancouver used his belt to whip people outside an Adidas store.
1983
Black Friday’s connection to Thanksgiving can be traced as far back as the early 1950s. Yet, Black Friday as we now know it truly started taking shape during the 80s. Arguably no event would better define what Black Friday has mutated into than the Cabbage Patch riots of 1983. Before Furby or Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have toy that turned shoppers into animals. No shock, consumers didn’t hold back come Black Friday. Over that Thanksgiving weekend, numerous Cabbage Patch-related injuries would be reported, ranging from broken legs to head trauma. In Miami, a crowd of 150 trampled over a 75-year-old man who had been waiting in line since 8:00 AM. He was among the many who didn’t get a doll.
2008
By 2008, Black Friday was known for being intense - even violent. Yet, the idea of a Black Friday crowd resulting in someone’s death sounded a tad far-fetched. Black Friday entered a darker era this year, which saw multiple fatalities. One incident occurred at a California Toys “R” Us where a scuffle culminated in two men gunning each other down. Another tragedy in Long Island would spotlight crowd control - or lack thereof. When a Walmart opened its doors during the early hours, nearly 2,000 people found themselves fighting to get in. Amid the frenzy, few seemed to acknowledge Jdimytai Damour, an employee who was trampled to death. Damour symbolized how out of hand Black Friday had become and the madness didn’t end with him.
2011
In recent years, people expect to read at least one or two crazy Black Friday stories annually. In 2011, though, it was hard to keep track of all the incidents that brought out the worst in consumers. Headlines included a woman pepper spraying roughly 20 people to get her hands on the latest video game consoles, patrons going haywire over something as trivial as bath towels, and the authorities slamming a grandfather to the ground (supposedly for shoplifting). Shoppers also seemingly learned nothing from Jdimytai Damour’s death, ignoring West Virginia’s Walter Vance as he collapsed on a Target floor and ultimately died. While we wouldn’t say Black Friday has gotten less insane since 2011, it hasn’t necessarily gotten worse than this.
Which Black Friday experience haunts your memory? Let us know in the comments.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most bonkers Black Fridays throughout the years.
1996
November 1996 saw the release of “Jingle All the Way,” in which Arnold Schwarzenegger embarks on a perilous quest to acquire a Turbo Man doll. While perhaps not as over-the-top, Arnold’s plight before Christmas echoed what many experienced on Black Friday that year. It was an especially hectic season with consumers rushing to get their hands on “101 Dalmatians” and “Space Jam” merch, not to mention the Nintendo 64. Tickle Me Elmo was arguably the most sought-after item with limited supplies. By 7:15 at one Target in Ohio, the fuzzy red dolls were all gone, leaving parents seeking a cure for their Elmo Fever. The desperation was felt across virtually all retail stores with Elmo-Mania only amplifying as Christmas drew closer.
2013
As some Walmart employees protested over wages in 2013, others spent Black Friday ensuring a series of shopping stampedes. At an Ohio Walmart, a little girl was reportedly sent to the hospital after being trampled over. Multiple arrests were made at another Walmart in California where a police officer broke his hand and finger attempting to defuse a brawl. In New Jersey, a woman allegedly spit on a mother and her child. Before the police could finish arresting her, an officer had to wrestle off a disgruntled man yanking at his uniform. Walmart wasn’t the only outlet that saw consumers and cops clash. A Kohl’s parking lot in Chicago became a shooting site as an officer took aim at suspected shoplifters.
2005
In addition to marking the first Cyber Monday, 2005 introduced the world to YouTube. With injury-related videos proving immediately popular, Black Friday was bound to provide fodder for the platform. A Walmart in Grand Rapids, Michigan saw more than one customer sent to the hospital. Among them was Duretha Arnold-Youngblood, a pregnant woman who seriously injured her leg as the crowd trampled over her. Adding to the pain, the incident was recorded and soon made the rounds online. Rather than question the store’s lack of security, most users made fun of Arnold as she picked her wig off the floor. The video - as well as the reaction - said a mouthful about what Black Friday was becoming and what the digital era has turned us into.
2010
Big-box stores on Black Friday are often compared to war zones. Cpl. Phillip Duggan is proof this isn’t an exaggeration. At a Best Buy in 2010, Duggan and three fellow Marines volunteered for Toys for Tots. Attempting to break up an altercation between employees and shoplifter Tracey Attaway, Duggan felt a blade across his back. Duggan only needed a few stitches while Attaway received a life sentence with 30 arrests already on his record. You didn’t need to wear a uniform to feel like you were in combat that Black Friday. Keith Krantz was nearly stomped to death at a Target in Buffalo, New York while Lanessa Lattimore was arrested after allegedly cutting in line at a Wisconsin Toys “R” Us and making gun threats.
1998
Furby could be seen as a missing link between the more traditional toys of yesteryear and the tech-savvy presents that have become more prevalent in the 21st century. The gifts might change, but Black Friday hasn’t - and consumers were overcome with Furby Fever in 1998. In New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Furbies quickly disappeared from the shelves as 500 Black Friday shoppers reportedly fought through Walmart’s doors. More than 1,000 shoppers were estimated to be waiting outside a Walmart in Pennsylvania at 3:00 AM, many eager to get their hands on a Furby by any means necessary. With only so many Furbies available, a KB Toy Store in Indianapolis instituted a two-per-family rule. Here’s hoping you didn’t have three or more kids.
2012
Remember when people thought the world would end in 2012? December 21 didn’t live up to the hype, but November 23 was unsurprisingly apocalyptic. A Massachusetts man left his girlfriend’s young son in a car outside a Kmart. The police thankfully rescued the child while his babysitter searched for a flatscreen. Driving home with his family, a father in Palo Alto fell asleep behind the wheel, resulting in two of his four daughters dying. A female shoplifter threatened an officer with a gun in Michigan while a Sears shopper in Texas allegedly pulled a firearm after somebody else punched him for cutting. One of the most senseless acts of violence occurred in Tallahassee, Florida where two people were shot over a parking spot at Walmart.
2016
2016 was a year defined by tragedy and social unrest. America’s frustration climaxed in November with a divisive election. Should it come as a surprise that people didn’t hold back their pent-up rage as Black Friday rolled around? Some shopped with their fists, as was the case for a group outside a Modesto Mall. Between Thanksgiving night and Black Friday, multiple shootings were reported across the country. One man lost his life at a Reno Walmart over a parking space. Three people would eventually be charged for a fatal shooting that occurred at a New Jersey Mall. Of course, the Black Friday mayhem wasn’t limited to the U.S., as a topless man in Vancouver used his belt to whip people outside an Adidas store.
1983
Black Friday’s connection to Thanksgiving can be traced as far back as the early 1950s. Yet, Black Friday as we now know it truly started taking shape during the 80s. Arguably no event would better define what Black Friday has mutated into than the Cabbage Patch riots of 1983. Before Furby or Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have toy that turned shoppers into animals. No shock, consumers didn’t hold back come Black Friday. Over that Thanksgiving weekend, numerous Cabbage Patch-related injuries would be reported, ranging from broken legs to head trauma. In Miami, a crowd of 150 trampled over a 75-year-old man who had been waiting in line since 8:00 AM. He was among the many who didn’t get a doll.
2008
By 2008, Black Friday was known for being intense - even violent. Yet, the idea of a Black Friday crowd resulting in someone’s death sounded a tad far-fetched. Black Friday entered a darker era this year, which saw multiple fatalities. One incident occurred at a California Toys “R” Us where a scuffle culminated in two men gunning each other down. Another tragedy in Long Island would spotlight crowd control - or lack thereof. When a Walmart opened its doors during the early hours, nearly 2,000 people found themselves fighting to get in. Amid the frenzy, few seemed to acknowledge Jdimytai Damour, an employee who was trampled to death. Damour symbolized how out of hand Black Friday had become and the madness didn’t end with him.
2011
In recent years, people expect to read at least one or two crazy Black Friday stories annually. In 2011, though, it was hard to keep track of all the incidents that brought out the worst in consumers. Headlines included a woman pepper spraying roughly 20 people to get her hands on the latest video game consoles, patrons going haywire over something as trivial as bath towels, and the authorities slamming a grandfather to the ground (supposedly for shoplifting). Shoppers also seemingly learned nothing from Jdimytai Damour’s death, ignoring West Virginia’s Walter Vance as he collapsed on a Target floor and ultimately died. While we wouldn’t say Black Friday has gotten less insane since 2011, it hasn’t necessarily gotten worse than this.
Which Black Friday experience haunts your memory? Let us know in the comments.
