San Antonio, TX – Black Friday shoppers can prove unreasonable and even violent. Such was the case at the South Park mall in San Antonio, Texas, where one shopper pulled a gun in an anxious crowd when another tried to skip ahead in the waiting line.
We’ve thankfully been able to avoid tragic Black Friday tales of violence thus far this year as most shoppers seem to be playing along just fine. However, there have been some close calls. The San Antonio Express-News reports that the scene at San Antonio’s South Park Mall turned to violence on Thursday night as anxious Black Friday shoppers waited for Sears to open its doors before 8pm.
On impatient man apparently started cutting ahead in line, calling people names and shouting at fellow shoppers during his bid to get to the front. He punched one man in the face on his way to the door, causing the concealed handgun license-holder to brandish his firearm in an effort to put the rowdy shopper in his place.
NBCDFW reports that Black Friday shoppers panicked and scattered, including the original offender who hid behind a refrigerator before ultimately fleeing the scene.
“It kind of went a little crazy in there,” said San Antonio Police Sgt. Rob Carey.
One witness said he told his kids to get down, and watched as his fellow shoppers panicked. The man with the gun looked around at the scene and lowered his firearm.
According to authorities, the man who pulled the gun will not be charged, because he had a license to carry the gun. Another shopper said that shortly after the scene died down, Black Friday resumed in force.
“They’re still going about their business,” he said.
No word on whether the line-cutter returned for the Black Friday deals he resorted to violence to get.
