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CRIME

Saturday night flash mob takes over Jacksonville Walmart

Dan Scanlan

A huge house party broken up by police in a North Jacksonville subdivision didn't end there Saturday night as hundreds of young partygoers ignited a flash mob at the Lem Turner Road Walmart Supercenter.

They caused havoc that was recorded and posted on YouTube until Tuesday afternoon, while one person reported being shot during the party.

The Sheriff's Office said investigations into both are "active and ongoing." The shooting is being investigated by the aggravated battery unit detectives while patrol officers follow up on the Walmart incident.

Walmart spokeswoman Dianna Gee said she learned of the incident Saturday night, then spoke with the shift manager at the 12100 Lem Turner Road store. She said the YouTube video is being reviewed, and that the employees did as they were trained by steering clear of the chaos and calling police.

"The actions of these teenagers was deplorable and put at risk the safety of innocent bystanders, staff and customers," Gee said. "We are committed to assisting law enforcement in any way we can to identify the people responsible for the commotion, including acts of vandalism and thefts at the store."

It started with officers being called to the Sampson Road subdivision in the 12600 block just before 10 p.m. They radioed for help to provide crowd and traffic control, according to the police report.

As police cleared the scene, they learned a 20-year-old was at Shands Jacksonville saying he had been shot in the right leg as he was leaving the party. He told officers he heard gunshots as he reached Sampson and Percy roads, so he started running, then realized he had been shot.

He said he didn't see a gun or anyone who could have shot him since "the crowd of people was so large," according to the report.

The Sampson Road homeowner couldn't be reached for comment. Neighbor Cynthia Cue said she didn't hear any gunshots that night but heard sirens as police arrived to handle what she was told was a party mimicking the new movie, "Project X." That film follows three high school students who throw an unforgettable party that gets way out of hand.

"I heard the party, I sure did," she said.

People left the "massive house party" and went about two miles to the Walmart, where more shots were fired about 11:20 p.m., according to a second police report.

Men and women, most appearing to be teens on the YouTube video, threw produce around as they crowded into the store. The three-minute video shows people riding shopping carts and mugging for the camera in what apparently lasted several minutes.

Gee said snacks and sodas were stolen, but no one was hurt and damage was minimal. A store security scanner also was damaged as everybody fled, the police report said.

No identifiable Walmart employees are seen during the video. The gunshots were fired into the air outside the store, but no cars or people were hit, the report said.

Flash mobs are usually a group of people who dance or sing together in a public place, captured on social media. But so-called "flash robs" like this one are a recent phenomena. Late June 18 a group of about 40 teens took over a supermarket in Portland, Ore., stealing items and terrorizing patrons before they were chased out, according to KGW-TV. And late Saturday, about 50 people crowded into a Silver Springs, Md., convenience store and stole snacks and drinks. Police said they dealt with a similar mob in August at another convenience store in Germantown, Md., according to WMAL-AM radio.