American has a new Christmas tradition: Black mob violence at malls.
In the days before, during, and after Christmas, 15 malls reported large-scale episodes of rioting, shooting, looting, rampaging, fighting, throwing rocks at police, damaging cars and more.
Two black people died.
A survey of the mayhem from around the country.
In Louisville, 2000 black people “rioted” at the Mall St. Matthews. In addition, shoppers report several gunshots. “Riots unfolded at Mall St. Matthews today,” reported WHAS TV news of the day after Christmas mob action. “That violence, beginning around 7, forcing mall officials to close early. It actually spread to multiple locations,” (outside the mall.)
“Why was this whole mayhem involving black kids,” asked one viewer of WHAS. “My wife and I were there plus vids show it.”
The police spokesman said the violence was “random.”
In the Stonecrest Mall in a suburb of Atlanta, video from inside the mall shows a group of black people fighting and pulling each other’s hair. Soon after, the group of about 10-15 moved outside, where the video shows fighting, gunshots, and at least one person hitting the ground wounded, while the other participants shrieked with glee.
At the Orange Park Mall near Jacksonville, 200 black people had to be dispersed from a movie theater on Christmas Day. “100’s of teens & young adults were at/outside movie theater at OP Mall when fights erupted,” said local reporter Tennikka Smith Hughes,
Eight black people were arrested, three for possession of concealed weapons.
“This happens every Christmas (in Jacksonville), first at River City, now Orange Park,” said one viewer, referring to a 2013 incident also on Christmas Day in Jacksonville, where 600 to 1000 black people stormed a movie theater and rampaged through the parking lot.”
At the Eastland Mall near Detroit, one black person was shot and killed after two groups of black people started fighting in the food court. The shooting took place as the violence moved towards the exit.
In Towson, Maryland, two hundred black people threw rocks at police trying to break up a large crowd at the local mall. Dozens of police responded, one was hit with a rock. On Twitter, TariqToure sent out the word of black victimization: “Tonight, dogs were sent out for black kids in “Baltimore Towson Mall.” He compared it to a Chicago shooting earlier that night.
Others said the riot was a long tradition in Towson and the result of black people in Baltimore not having enough free recreational opportunities, so they go to the mall and create havoc instead.
On Christmas night in Mobile, Alabama, four black people were shot at a movie theater.
At the Mall in Wellington Green in Wellington, Florida, police responded a large brawl at the shopping center the day before Christmas.
At the Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, “a fight led to a large and rowdy crowd gathering in the food court,” said the ABC affiliate. 200 black people interfered as police tried to break up a fight. One person was arrested.
At the Southland Mall in Chicago, ten black people fought throughout the mall on video. No one died.
In a popular neighborhood shopping district in Chicago, the headline tells the story: “Ho Ho Hold Ups Galore: 4 robbed, 1 pistol-whipped during Christmas Eve armed robbery spree in Lakeview.”
