Philadelphia’s city centre was plunged into chaos on Tuesday evening as groups of masked and hooded teenagers carried out a series of brazen shop break-ins and thefts, resembling flash mob-style raids. Authorities and witnesses were left stunned by the audacious acts of theft and vandalism.
The tumultuous evening began with an incursion into an Apple Store at approximately 8 pm local time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT). Police were swiftly on the scene, chasing down fleeing teenagers who had raided the store. During the pursuit, law enforcement managed to recover dropped iPhones and a “pile of iPads,” according to a statement released by the police.
The scale of the incidents escalated as more than 100 individuals, appearing to be teenagers, descended upon a Lululemon store, as reported by NBC10 Philadelphia, citing a police officer’s account. Videos posted on social media captured the chaotic scenes, with most of the youths masked and clad in hoodies, rushing out of the looted Lululemon store. Police officers were seen apprehending several of the culprits, resorting to tackling them to the sidewalk, as documented by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Thankfully, no immediate reports of injuries emerged from the disturbances. However, CBS Philadelphia reported that a security guard at a Foot Locker outlet had been assaulted during the tumultuous events.
The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper disclosed that more than 20 individuals were arrested in connection with the spree of theft and vandalism on Tuesday night. Many of those apprehended were young people, indicating the involvement of teenagers in the coordinated raids. Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford, as reported by the Inquirer, suggested that these young individuals had coordinated their actions using social media platforms. Additionally, there were reports of “a caravan of cars” moving between different locations in the city, with the intent of breaking into various shops.
Efforts by law enforcement appeared to have contained the situation by midnight local time, signalling a much-needed respite from the unsettling events that had gripped Philadelphia’s city centre earlier in the evening.
