A family-run convenience store in Fort Greene, Brooklyn was the target of a robbery recently, as a large group of youths descended on the shop to steal snacks, candy and bottles of soda. The incident was recorded by a witness on their phone, which shows the unidentified group of individuals leaving the premises with stolen goods in hand. Due to the high volume of shoplifting incidents like these, the owners of the store have reportedly said that they will have to close shop at the end of month.
In the 48-second snippet of footage, around 20 youths — many of which have their hoods up or are wearing masks in a bid to cover their faces — can be seen running past the counter and out of the store. Carrying snacks, candy and bottles of soda in their hands, the shoplifters knock over items that are neatly stacked as they clumsily make their way through, leaving a mess of candy bars littered across the floor.
As the final youths begin exiting the premises, an elderly lady using a zimmer frame comes into view and can be seen doing her shopping. In an attempt to give the remaining shoplifter some sage life advice, the woman tells him: “You’re not gonna go to heaven, kid. That’s stealing! Look here, the devil’s in you. Does your mom take you to church? You don’t care. You’re gonna pay for it 5 years later.” However, the advice appears to fall on deaf ears as the teen simply ignores the elderly woman’s pleas. With an armful of stolen goods, the shoplifter walks past her to grab one last item off the floor, before making his way out of the store.
While the chaotic clip continues to make the rounds online, reactions from across the internet saw an influx of comments come in denouncing the unruly behavior of the shoplifters. Many took aim at the kid’s upbringing, with one simply writing, “Bad parenting.” and another going even further, and simply adding, “No parenting.” Elsewhere, another Redditor championed the elderly lady who tried her best to reason with one of the youths, penning, “Granny over there trying her best.”
It’s unclear whether police were called to the scene of the crime, and whether any arrests were made. However, accompanying the footage is some additional context, which reads: “Fort Greene, Brooklyn , USA. The owners are said to be intending to close at the end of the month, for this very reason.”
