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Walter Wallace shooting: Philadelphia Walmart looted by protesters, Internet slams robbery

Looters in Philadelphia were seen robbing and pillaging Walmart amid protests of the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.

PORT RICHMOND, PHILADELPHIA: Looters in Philadelphia who were protesting the shooting of an armed Black man by the police were seen pillaging a Walmart store in Port Richmond and stealing big-screen TVs, shoes, carts full of things as well as furniture. Many videos that were shot from news helicopters show some people stealing and ransacking a Walmart store in Philadelphia. The parking lot of the store is seen trashed with big-screen TV boxes that have been discarded after loading the products into their vehicles. 

In another view of the incident, a person is seen attempting to drive off with a large screen TV on top of the car. The box then slides off the car and falls down. Another vehicle is seen driving over another box lying on the road. Some people had also broken into a Rite Aid pharmacy store and began more looting. 

The protests come after the fatal shooting of an armed Black man by two police officers. As reported by CNN, a citywide curfew has been put into effect on Wednesday, October 28 after two nights of protests and looting after Walter Wallace Jr. was shot dead. 

Many social media users commented on the videos of products being looted. One such user shared, "Unfortunately most of the comments are trying to justify this illegal activity as deserved or acceptable. It’s wrong to take something that isn’t yours. And this won’t bring about needed change in our criminal justice system; #BeBetter."

Another user commented, "I just can't understand the fact that somebody is justifying stealing and looting.... Outlawz everywhere... What then is the difference between HUMANS and ANIMALS?,... Just asking?" Yet another user added, "We're developing Artificial Intelligence because humans have stopped thinking these days. Machine Learning is gaining traction because people won't learn so we've gotta teach computers to. How did we, as just a species in a world we came to meet, get here? How did that happen?"

Some users shared that they dont justify stealing and looting but that people are in dire straits right now. One such user shared, "Looting is a product of plenty mind factors, & I can’t totally take hunger off the table, especially as regards the palliative foods. Some of these looters are natural klepts, some are just showing their anger, some derive joy in thuggery & vandalism while a handful are hungry!!"

"People have been out of work for months, unemployment is being cut, stimulus is long gone; they're desperate. Yes, stealing is bad. Yes, TVs & shoes aren't food but they have monetary value that people can obtain to survive rn. Consider the circumstance that led to this," added another.

Wallace, 27, was shot and killed on Monday, October 26, while holding a knife during a confrontation with the police in West Philadelphia. His family revealed that he suffered from a bipolar disorder and had been in crisis during the shooting. According to a family attorney, Wallace was a mental health patient who was prescribed lithium. 

Authorities are currently looking into and investigating what two responding officers knew when they answered a call regarding a man with a knife. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw spoke via a virtual news conference and said she would be meeting Wallace's family soon to show them the footage from the police officers' body camera. 

She shared, "We plan on releasing premise history (of calls to the home), audio of 911 calls and bodycam footage of the discharging officers in the near future. Before that happens, however, we'll be meeting with members of Mr. Wallace's family, to ensure they get an opportunity to view the materials first."