Toys R Us Shooting Deaths

The Toys R Us in Palm Desert, California was NOT "where a kid can be a kid" on Friday.

From FOX News:

Two men were shot and killed Friday inside a Toys R Us in Palm Desert, Calif., during a confrontation apparently involving rival groups, city officials said.

Palm Desert Councilman Jim Ferguson said police told him two men with handguns shot and killed each other. Ferguson said he asked police whether the incident was a dispute over a toy or whether it was gang-related. He said police told him they were not going to release further details until the victims' relatives were notified.

"I think the obvious question everyone has is who takes loaded weapons into a Toys R Us?" he said. "I doubt it was the casual holiday shopper."

City spokeswoman Sheila Gilligan said police told her the shooting broke out between "two groups of individuals that have a dispute with each other."

Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said Palm Desert police got a call saying shots had been fired inside the store around 11:35 a.m.

Gutierrez confirmed there was a fight but said it was not over a toy.

Oh, what a relief! At least the shooting wasn't over a toy.

I feel so much better about the whole thing now.

Good grief.

...Bob Friedland, public relations manager for Toys R Us said the company is working closely with local law enforcement to determine the specific details of what happened at the store.

"We are outraged by the act of violence that occurred...and by the fact that anyone would compromise the safety and security of our customers and employees," Friedland said. "Our understanding is that this act seems to have been the result of a personal dispute between the individuals involved. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to associate the events of today with Black Friday."

It certainly appears that the shooting didn't stem from anything related to the After-Thanksgiving sale at Toys R Us.

However, because of the whole Black Friday thing, shopping is being covered as big news. As a result, the shooting at Toys R Us may be getting more national attention than it normally would. That's not good for Toys R Us.

It is a horrifying incident at any time. Although the shooting seems to be related to a personal dispute, the store had to be more crowded than usual, making the gunfire that much more dangerous. It must have been so traumatic for the shoppers and employees.

If these people want to whip out guns to settle their arguments and kill each other off, they should at least have the courtesy to do it in a place that won't impact the innocent.

These thugs need to work on their manners.

Rule for thugs: NO SHOOTING AT TOYS R US.