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.
