Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving often brings images of massive crowds, unbelievable deals, and frantic shoppers. But beneath the surface of exciting discounts lies a darker side. The intense pressure to grab limited-time offers can turn ordinary shopping trips into dangerous situations, sometimes with fatal consequences.
It’s not just about stampedes or fighting over products. The rush of Black Friday has been linked to deadly violence, tragic accidents, and heartbreaking incidents. From parking lot disputes to horrifying crimes, the pursuit of savings has sometimes cost people their lives. Let’s look at ten times Black Friday turned deadly.
10. Isidro Zarate
On Black Friday in 2016, Isidro Zarate, 39, waited in his car at a San Antonio Walmart while his wife, Lisa, shopped inside. They had planned to see the city’s holiday lights later that evening. While waiting, Isidro saw Teles Mandan Juarez, 21, attacking a woman in the parking lot, grabbing her hair and hitting her.
Isidro drove closer to intervene. Witnesses heard him shout, “Take your hands off her!” before he could even get out of his car. Juarez pulled out a gun and shot Isidro in the neck. The bullets shattered the car window, injuring two other women with flying glass. Juarez fled but was later caught by police.
Lisa came out of the store to find a crime scene surrounding her husband’s car. Tragically, Isidro didn’t have life insurance, leaving his wife and four children facing immense hardship along with their grief. A GoFundMe campaign helped raise funds for the family.
9. Jdimytai Damour
In 2008, the Nintendo Wii was a hot item. By 3:30 a.m. on Black Friday, a huge crowd had gathered outside a Walmart in Valley Stream, New York. The store was set to open at 5:00 a.m., but the estimated 2,000 shoppers grew restless. With no security present, impatience turned into chaos.
Minutes before opening, the crowd surged forward, pushing against the glass doors. Employees inside tried to hold them back, but the force was too great. The doors shattered, and the mob flooded into the store. Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old temporary employee, was knocked down in the rush.
Tragically, the stampede of shoppers trampled him. Police officers tried CPR, but it was too late. Despite reviewing security footage, authorities couldn’t identify specific individuals responsible for his death amid the chaos.
8. Nick Brady and Haile Kifer
By 2012, some stores started Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night. Byron Smith, 65, had recently been burglarized multiple times, losing cash, guns, and sentimental items. Wary of another break-in during the holiday, he planned.
On Thanksgiving night, Smith turned off his lights and moved his truck to make his Minnesota home look empty. He sat in his basement with a loaded gun and a tape recorder. His assumption proved correct when cousins Nick Brady, 17, and Haile Kifer, 18, broke into his home after their family dinner, likely looking for valuables.
Smith shot Brady multiple times as he entered the basement. Audio recording captured Smith saying, “You’re dead.” He then moved the body. When Kifer came down the stairs, Smith shot her repeatedly. The recording captured chilling remarks like, “You’re dying. Bitch,” and later justifications where he called the teens “vermin.” He waited until the next day, Black Friday, to call the police.
While Minnesota law allows homeowners to defend their property, the recording revealed premeditation and excessive force. Smith was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
7. The Toys”R”Us Shootout
Black Friday shopping at Toys”R”Us can be stressful for parents seeking the perfect gifts. In Palm Desert, California, during the 2008 Black Friday rush, tensions between two families erupted into violence.
An argument escalated, and one woman began physically attacking another. The man accompanying the victim pulled out a handgun, attempting to stop the fight. However, the attacker’s male companion also drew a gun. Both men were apparently armed, anticipating potential trouble during the shopping frenzy.
The situation quickly devolved into a shootout inside the crowded store. Both men fired their weapons, ultimately killing each other. Police withheld their names during the investigation and stated the fight might not have been over a toy, but the exact motive remains unclear.
6. Nadia Ezaldein
Nadia Ezaldein, 22, was working a seasonal job at Nordstrom in Chicago on Black Friday 2014, which also happened to be her birthday. Her family was waiting at home to celebrate with a surprise party after her mandatory long shift.
Months earlier, Nadia had ended her relationship with 31-year-old Marcus Dee. Dee was described as obsessed and had a history of physically and psychologically abusing Nadia. Unable to accept the breakup, he stalked her.
Knowing she would be working the holiday, Dee went to Nordstrom. He found Nadia and shot her. She was rushed to the hospital but was declared brain-dead. Her organs were donated before she passed away, turning a day meant for celebration into one of profound tragedy.
5. Matthew McGraw
The chaos of Black Friday isn’t limited to inside the stores; parking lots can be just as dangerous. On Thanksgiving evening in 2015, the Reno Walmart parking lot was already jammed by 6:00 p.m. as early Black Friday sales began.
Matthew McGraw, 33, was driving through the packed lot when another vehicle reportedly cut him off near the exit and took a parking spot. Enraged, McGraw parked his own car, grabbed a metal baton, and approached the other driver.
McGraw smashed the window of the other car while the driver was still inside and began attacking him with the baton. The driver, fearing for his life, retrieved a gun he kept in his vehicle and shot McGraw in self-defense. McGraw died from the gunshot wound. The shooter’s name was not released by authorities.
4. Ashlea Harris
Carter Cervantez and Clarence Mallory, a couple formerly employed at an American Eagle Outfitters in Dallas, Texas, had been fired for stealing from the store. They knew Black Friday meant large amounts of cash would be on hand.
They also knew where their former assistant manager, 31-year-old Ashlea Harris, lived. After Harris returned home from a long shift on Black Friday 2014, Cervantez and Mallory ambushed her in her apartment.
Fueled by resentment, they brutally attacked Harris, binding her arms and legs, beating her, and ultimately setting her apartment on fire, which led to her death. They stole her store keys, intending to rob the American Eagle location of its estimated $50,000 in Black Friday earnings. The couple was later apprehended and charged with capital murder.
3. Nisha and Sheetal Tandel
Black Friday exhaustion affects shoppers and drivers alike. After a long Thanksgiving and subsequent early morning shopping, Arvind Tandel was driving his wife and four daughters home around 6:30 a.m. on November 23, 2012. The Lexus SUV was crowded.
Because the back seat was designed for fewer passengers, the two oldest daughters, Nisha, 24, and Sheetal, 20, gave their seat belts to their younger sisters. Tragically, their father, exhausted from the holiday activities, fell asleep at the wheel on the highway.
The SUV drifted and crashed into the back of a police cruiser stopped on the shoulder assisting another vehicle. Arvind hadn’t seen the flashing lights. The impact caused the SUV to roll multiple times. Nisha and Sheetal, unbelted, were violently thrown inside the vehicle and died from their injuries. Arvind was later convicted of vehicular manslaughter, as driving while severely sleep-deprived is considered dangerously negligent.
2. Walter Vance
Sometimes, the danger on Black Friday isn’t violence, but indifference. Walter Vance, 61, was shopping for Christmas decorations just after midnight as Black Friday began in 2011 at a Target in West Virginia. He had a pre-existing heart condition.
Amidst the shopping frenzy, the stress apparently became too much, and Walter suffered a heart attack, collapsing onto the floor. Shockingly, reports indicated that many shoppers, focused on getting deals, simply stepped over or around him.
He lay there for some time before an off-duty nurse noticed him and began CPR while emergency services were called. Unfortunately, the delay was critical, and Walter could not be revived. His family expressed outrage that the rush for discounts seemed to overshadow basic human decency and potentially cost Walter his life.
1. Demond Cottman
Early Black Friday morning in 2016, around 1:00 a.m., violence struck in the parking lot of the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, New Jersey. While the main mall was closed, some anchor stores like Macy’s had opened on Thanksgiving night, drawing shoppers.
Demond Cottman, 20, and his older brother Shadi, 26, were near their vehicle in the parking lot when shots rang out. Both brothers were hit. Shadi survived after being shot in the leg, but Demond was fatally wounded.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as shoppers fled the area. Police investigated the shooting, suggesting potential links to other local incidents, but no specific motive or suspect details were immediately released. The event served as another grim reminder of the dangers that can arise during the high-stress Black Friday period.
These stories paint a sobering picture of Black Friday. While finding a great deal can be exciting, the intense environment can unfortunately bring out the worst in people and lead to devastating outcomes. It’s a stark reminder to prioritize safety, patience, and empathy, even amidst the biggest shopping day of the year.
What are your thoughts on the dangers of Black Friday? Share your opinions or experiences in the comments below.
