People love savings, kill dude for them.

[Cure]

NEW YORK - A Wal-Mart worker died Friday after a throng of "out-of-control" shoppers broke down the doors at a suburban Long Island store in a scramble for post-Thanksgiving bargains, police said.

At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries.

The store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.

Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store doors at the mall, about 30 kilometres east of Manhattan.

The impatient crowd knocked the man, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour of Queens, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.

"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."

Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help Damour were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said.

Items on sale at the store included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for US$798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

Damour, 34, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined.

Witnesses said that even as the worker lay on the ground, shoppers streamed into the store, stepping over him.

Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."

"When they (officials) were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,"' she said. "They kept shopping."

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone. At least three other people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers. Authorities were reviewing surveillance video.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.

"The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," said Dan Fogleman, a company spokesman. "At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred."

Shoppers across the United States lined up early outside stores on the day after U.S. Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday.

It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year.

So...uh...I hope they can see their flat screens well since they're covered in the blood of that man and all.

[Mecha Cow]

You know, maybe this whole Black Friday thing isn't such a great idea.

[愛]

More like "Red Friday" amirite?

[Ninjinister]

I had heard about this a bit earlier today, before they had released the victim's name. The report I had heard, however, indicated that patrons had broken the door in prior to business' opening hours due to impatience.

Flippin' holidays and events... nearly all of them are based on the seven deadly sins... and then they wonder why the world is in such a sorry state of affairs.

[Machias Banshee]

I can just imagine those people having to go to their family and admitting, "I cared more about getting the latest iPod instead of someone's life."

These people are horrible. And what pisses me off is that Walmart will probably be the one that gets sued over the loss of life. They should have shut down the store for the rest of the day. F*ck em if they've been waiting in line for who knows how long. No amount of money is worth a life...

Damn selfish arrogant people. I hope they enjoy their blood gifts...

[KROW]

It's bad enough that this whole day has people frantic with its one-day-only sales, but to have them for only 5 or 6 hours starting as early as 5AM? Ridiculous. How many more people need to be injured/killed until this Black Friday bullsh*t gets abolished?

For f**k sake, people. Use layaway or get your sh*t early.

[CudleyCowlick]

Well I personally stabbed four people, strangled a grandmother, and kicked a pregnant woman in the belly yesterday but I DID get almost all of my Xmas shopping done for under $500.

I don't see what the big deal is, here.

[Jester]

Man...just man... I stay away from Black Friday for just this reason...people are crazy and don't care 1/2 a crap for the lives of people when they can get a Bissel Vac for $28...

[Brodie]

Anyone really excited the reporter made a point to mention what savings could be had?

I got my DVDs and didnt have to hit too many people...Let alone trample someone.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

The term "Black Friday" comes from the fact that retail stores often end up in the black monetarily-wise as a result of this huge shopping day.

Of course I avoid department stores on this day. The sad truth is that this isn't the first time this sort of thing happened at a retail store.

[Hannah]

I killed a duded today and I didn't even go shopping, WAHAHA!

[BigApple3AM]

Absolutely ****ing ridiculous. I'd hope those people wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but they'll probably sleep like babies, since they obviously didn't care enough to stop trampling him to death.

Poor guy...

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

I swear, the older I get, the more I dread the holiday season. Events like these really bring out the worst in people.

[Machias Banshee]

Well, the good news is the police are trying to track down all the people who trampled him. Problem being that with the CROWD that jumped him, I don't think they're gonna be able to really get anyone specifically. These dirtbag shoppers will probably get away with murder...

[Buslady]

it's a double murder now, the baby died...supposedly there's an update floating around somewhere. im trying to find it

and yeah they probably will get away with it.

[Machias Banshee]

My god... the more I see this stuff, the more I hate the commercial part of the holiday. I was NEAR a wal-mart last night and was damn near run off the road. The whole groupthink just changes people into maniacs...

[Sage Ninja]

I work at Wal-Mart. I worked Black Friday and I've seen some pretty effed up sh*t happen. This year was reletively quite since I didn't go to work till after the huge rush but there have been other times where I've been to work on black friday and seen some stuff. Last year two custmer got into a fight over an xbox and came to serious blows. We had to call the police and mop up the blood after wards that got splatted on the floor (yeah it was that brutal) and a cashier that worked in the electronics demartment broke his finger when he tried to break them up.

And the year before I started working at Wal-Mart my store had a death of it's own. One of the elderly workers had a heart attack just when they opened the doors and he died because the crowd outside the door wouldn't make room enough for the permedics to get inside and help him. Every year before opening the doors we have moment of silence for him.

Man I hate Black friday and the reason ever one is acting this way is because the econemy is in the crapper and people don't want to give up on the bounty of presents there used to every year so they want to take advantage of sales to get a wide screen tv or the newest Elmo at the lowest buck. **shakes head**

[Mr. Snackpants]

This is pretty pathetic and all but I love the extreme Black Friday hate going around here.

Oh those people are crazy. I never go shopping that day, I avoid it. they need to get a life.

How do you all know what it's like if you avoid it like a plague? The only thing you'll see about it will be on the news and if it's on the news it's going to be because of something bad, that's all local news is.

I've been Black Friday shopping four years. The last two years at Best Buy. There have been zero problems aside from a couple young kids trying to cut. Actually people are pretty friendly. Whether it be making conversation in line, sharing heat, picking up stuff for people on runs, the list goes on. And when it's go time there's always a single file line going into the store. No running, no craziness.

Everything is smooth. Mainly because Best Buy is smarter than the f*cktards at Wal-Mart. When the doors open at 5am all the big items are spoken for, tickets for them have been handed out. There is no reason to race into the store.

But yeah anyway, stay away. Hide in your basements after you finish your turkey diner. These people are crazy!!!!!

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

Originally Posted by Mr. Snackpants

Everything is smooth. Mainly because Best Buy is smarter than the f*cktards at Wal-Mart. When the doors open at 5am all the big items are spoken for, tickets for them have been handed out. There is no reason to race into the store.

And there you have it- this ish happens every year, and yet it seems no one except Best Buy had the foresight to organize the event at their store. Why was Wal-mart not more prepared? It's just irresponsible to whip people into a frenzy and then step away from the madness.

[MrPliggins]

Holy s***...it's just STUFF! People need to get their priorities straight and stop being so damn selfish. I blame today's society and pop culture, telling us we need all this stuff. In the end, all it is is more stuff to clutter up your house.

That being said, I was at the local wal-mart opening yesterday, and I didn't think it was very crazy. The electronics section was really insane, but otherwise, it wasn't bad..and all the other stores I went to were really not very busy. I didn't see any fights, or name calling, or anything like that.