High school students in Chicago, Illinois took advantage of the nationwide school walkout against gun violence on Wednesday to trash a local Walmart.
The Washington Times reports, “Police are analyzing surveillance video of a [Wednesday] rampage in Chicago’s South Side that led to a Walmart being turned upside down. Roughly 40 to 60 kids from Simeon Career Academy exploited the day of activism by looting and destroying property.”
Surveillance video shows the students running through the store, knocking over product displays, looting, and leaving destruction in their wake.
Alderman Howard Brookins of Chicago’s 21st Ward, who was instrumental in getting big box retailers to take up shop on the South Side, told local station FOX 32 that “it makes no sense” why the high school kids would choose to destroy a store in their community.
“We worked too hard to get to try and get these national retailers here in our community, and this doesn’t help us. It makes no sense to tear up the community, which you call home,” said Brookins.
Chicago Public Schools spokesperson Emily Bolton issued a statement saying that they are “very concerned” by the allegations at hand and are “reviewing the matter.”
A Chicago Police Department spokesperson told the local FOX affiliate that they are in the process of reviewing "high quality" surveillance video and that students found responsible will likely be charged with misdemeanors.
Ironically enough, Walmart is actually one of the retailers to have raised the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21 following the Parkland, Florida school shooting in February. Guess the students didn't get the memo.
Students across the nation on Wednesday walked out of class for 17 minutes to protest guns, call for stricter gun control laws, and honor the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day.
Watch below for footage of the chaos and destruction.
(Cover Photo: Screenshot)
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