This Is All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: The early morning release of Nike’s limited edition Air Jordan 11 “Concord” sneakers has resulted in a rash of violent incidents at shopping centers across the country.
In suburban Seatlle’s Southcenter Mall, where over 1,000 people lined up for a chance to nab the $180 shoes, a riot broke out after the shoes sold out, and police were called in to control the crowd.
Some 20 people were pepper-sprayed, and one man was arrested for assault. No serious injuries were reported.
Detroit also saw its share of rioting, when approximately 300 people forced their way into the Southland Mall. Some property damage was recorded and at least one person was arrested for inciting a riot.
Things were significantly more hectic in suburban Atlanta, where at least three people were arrested after the large crowd gathered outside the Mall at Stonecrest became impatient and broke down the doors.
In addition, a woman was arrested for allegedly leaving her two young children in the car so she could go buy the shoes. DeKalb police officers were forced to break the car window in order to rescue the children.
“Pushing and shoving” was also reported at Lafayette Square Mall in Indianapolis, where a horde of some 300 people reportedly “ripped the doors off their hinges.”
Police were called in to assist with crowd control.
At a mall in Richmond, CA, reports of a shot fired led to the arrest of a man with a handgun, though a police rep said it appeared to be “a negligent discharge of a firearm.” The mall was shut down for several hours, leading to some aggression among shoppers.
In nearby San Leandro, Bayfair Mall windows were vandalized by impatient shoppers.
Always been a huge Air Jordan fan, but this is just crazy. Tried my hand last night at getting a pair online and every sneaker site (i.e. Footlocker, Footaction) and even Nike.com was down. Air Jordan sneakerheads are still the most rabid and loyal customer base out there.
