A GameStop employee, Derrick Guerrero, 33, has been charged with manslaughter following the fatal shooting of a man accused of shoplifting. The incident occurred in a GameStop branch in a strip mall near Fort Lauderdale.
On Tuesday evening, the alleged shoplifter snatched five boxes of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet “ultra-premium” trading cards, each valued at $120, and attempted to flee the store.
In response, Guerrero drew a handgun and shot the man in the side. The injured man dropped the merchandise and reached a nearby pickup truck, where a woman promptly called the police. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries three hours later in a hospital.
After reviewing the store security footage, Pembroke Pines police confirmed that the shoplifter had neither threatened Guerrero nor shown any weapon. The identity of the deceased man remains undisclosed.
Florida’s “stand your ground” law permits using deadly force under the threat of death or severe bodily injury. However, using such force purely in defense of property is not justified. Manslaughter is characterized as an unintentional killing that occurs spontaneously.
Guerrero is detained at Broward County Jail with a bail set at $25,000. It is unclear if he has legal representation.
A similar scenario occurred in New York. A man suspected of shoplifting at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Long Island, caused a lockdown after discharging a firearm inside the mall. The episode took place around 11 a.m. Monday in the Clique clothing store on the second floor, where the individual was thought to be layering stolen clothes over his own, explained Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
The situation escalated when a store security guard approached the suspect, leading to a scuffle between the two. During this altercation, the man claimed to possess a gun, which was accidentally fired. Thankfully, the bullet hit the ground, resulting in no injuries.
Following the incident, the mall was quickly secured, and nearby schools implemented a lockout procedure for safety measures. The identity of the suspected shoplifter remains undisclosed.
