Over 100 masked teens ransack and loot Philadelphia stores leading to several arrests, police say

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More than a hundred masked adolescents engaged in acts of vandalism and theft within retail establishments located in Philadelphia’s Central City on Tuesday, resulting in multiple apprehensions by law enforcement, according to statements from authorities and eyewitnesses.

Around 8 p.m., an Apple Store became a target of this criminal activity, prompting the police to pursue the fleeing teenagers. During this pursuit, authorities were able to recover discarded iPhones and a substantial accumulation of iPads at a specific location, as detailed in a police announcement.

NBC10 Philadelphia reported that a group exceeding 100 individuals, who appeared to be teenagers, looted a Lululemon store. Video footage circulating on social media depicted individuals adorned in masks and hooded attire swiftly exiting the Lululemon establishment, with law enforcement personnel apprehending several of them through physical restraint on the sidewalk, as documented by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Although no immediate injuries were reported, CBS Philadelphia did note that a security guard at the Foot Locker had been subjected to an assault during these events.

These coordinated acts of ransacking, reminiscent of a flash mob, occurred subsequent to an earlier peaceful protest concerning a judicial decision made on Tuesday. The decision in question involved the dismissal of murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer, who had fatally shot a driver named Eddie Irizarry through a rolled-up window.

Nonetheless, various police officials asserted that the incidents of looting at the stores were not linked to the prior demonstrations, as reported by CBS Philadelphia.

It is worth noting that these thefts transpired on the same day when Target announced its intention to shutter nine stores across four states, including one located in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood and three within the San Francisco Bay Area. The company cited concerns over theft and organized retail crime, which had posed threats to the safety of both its employees and customers.

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• Source: NBC10 Philadelphia
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
• Source: CBS Philadelphia