Wal-Mart Worker Killed In Black Friday Stampede

Pregnant woman injured in bargain-hunters' frenzy

November 28, 2008

• Wal-Mart Fined $7,000 for "Black Friday" Employee Death • Online Holiday Sales Dip • Christmas Sales Forecast Gets More Grim • Black Friday Victim's Family Sues Wal-Mart • Giving Without Shopping: Make It a Priceless Holiday • Cyber Monday Spending Jumps 15 Percent • More Evidence Consumers Plan to Reduce Holiday Spending • Retailers' "Desperation" to Mark Black Friday • 'Tis The Season For Stress & Depression • CPSC Offers Toy Safety Tips for Holiday Shopping • Consumers Playing Rebate Roulette This Holiday Season • Beware of Zero Percent Financing • Survey Finds Consumers Wary about Holiday Returns • NYC Fines Retailers for Return & Restocking Fee Violations • Retailers Urged to Curb Violent Video Games • Smart, Careful Shopping Will Help Keep the Season Bright • Video Game Industry Gets a D+ • Negative Option Scams May Snag Online Holiday Shoppers • Retailers' Return Policies Getting Tougher • Safety, Shopping, Charitable Giving Tips • Consumer Reports Holiday Guide • The Gift That Keeps On Taking • Best of All: Giving Without Shopping

Police on Long Island, New York shut down a Wal-Mart store after early-morning shoppers trampled and killed a store employee in an effort to reach "Black Friday" bargains.

The incident occurred at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart store around 5 a.m. Friday, just as the store was opening for the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving sales that encourage shoppers to turn out early for extra savings.

Witnesses say a 34-year-old stock clerk was trying to contain the crowd as it pushed through the doors and was knocked to the floor. The man was reportedly crushed as the shoppers stepped on him to get inside.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," Jimmy Overby, a co-worker, told the New York Daily News. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. I literally had to fight people off my back."

The newspaper reported that a 28-year-old pregnant woman was also knocked to the floor during the stampede. Police said she, and three other shoppers, suffered minor injuries.

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