Bargain hunters in New York pushed past emergency workers to get inside
A Wal-Mart worker was killed when a throng of shoppers stormed through the store's doors in search of bargains on the busiest shopping day in the
Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old temporary worker doing maintenance work at the store in
Shortly after the store opened at 5 a.m., about 2,000 shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking (the worker) to the ground," said police in a statement.
Even after emergency personnel had arrived and began work on Damour, customers, some of whom had been waiting since 9 p.m. the night before, were eagerly trying to get past them to get to the sales.
Damour was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at about 6 a.m. At least four other people were taken to hospital for observation or minor injuries.
Police have said criminal charges against the customers who trampled Damour are possible, but they are having a hard time identifying the responsible parties from video footage.
Arkansas-based Wal-Mart has called Damour's death a "tragic situation," but said it added staffers and outside workers and put up barricades to try to prepare for the crowds.
