US teens loot Apple, Lululemon, and Footlocker stores, most devices left behind

The organized looting of retail shops took place in Philadelphia and led to several arrests.

Groups of up to 100 masked and hooded teenagers broke into retail shops in Philadelphia’s city center on Tuesday night, seizing merchandise and fleeing on foot in flash mob-style raids.

According to FOX 29, many stolen Apple products were left behind or smashed when the looters realized that the devices’ anti-theft technology rendered them inactive.

According to police reports, 15-20 arrests have been made so far, and two firearms have been recovered. Authorities are working on the investigation to make more arrests.

The flash mob-style looting occurred in the aftermath of an earlier peaceful demonstration within the city. Protesters were opposing a judicial ruling that dismissed a Philadelphia police officer of murder charges in the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry, who was killed through the window of his vehicle.

Retail shops closing

Back in 2022, Apple again closed its retail shops in fear of looting. According to reports, looters try to take advantage of ongoing protests to loot various shops, with the attacks causing considerable damage.

Looting is not the only problem that retail shops are facing. Insider reported that almost 3,200 stores by 20 major retailers are closing across the US in 2023.

The closures are due to various reasons, such as bankruptcy proceedings, aiming to cut costs, or adjusting to changing shopping trends.

Foot Locker will be closing as many as 420 stores by 2026. Other stores reporting closures include Bed Bath & Beyond, with 896 stores; Rite Aid, with up to 500 stores; Tuesday Morning, 487 stores; CVS, 300 stores; Best Buy, 20 stores; Walmart, 23 stores, and Amazon, at least nine stores.