Bomb threat, panic disrupt 2 Black Friday locations

Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Black Friday crowds of shoppers weren't the only headache on what has become known as the busiest shopping day of the year.

A bomb threat at a popular mall near New York City stalled Black Friday shoppers for roughly 30 minutes while New Jersey State Police checked out the facility.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, N.J., south of New York City, was evacuated after the threat.

"If you're onsite, all customers, tenants, and employees should follow guidance from law enforcement and walk to the nearest exit and safely evacuate the building out of an abundance of caution," Murphy said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday morning just before 9 a.m. EDT.

Authorities sent out an emergency alert at about 9:17 a.m., saying that the situation was resolved and the facility was safe. Murphy posted again shortly after 9:30 a.m. and gave the all-clear.

"The matter is still under investigation, but law enforcement has determined there is no imminent threat at American Dream at this time," Murphy said shortly after 9:30 a.m. "The [New Jersey State Police] has reopened the mall. We will remain vigilant to ensure everyone stays safe this holiday season."

At the Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C., confusion arose after an initial report of possible gunfire near where a pro-Palestinian protest was taking place.

Raleigh Police reported that a loud sound startled some shoppers, causing panic and leading some to run out of the mall exits Friday morning. Authorities said that, while they determined that the sound was not gunfire, they had not determined the cause of the noise and panic.

Former WRAL-TV reporter Sloan Heffernan, who was shopping in the mall with her daughter, witnessed the incident.

"The first thing I saw when I knew something was wrong was this massive [group] of people running toward the food court," Heffernan said. "Then, all of a sudden, you heard 'pow, pow, pow.' People were making a mad dash out of that mall."

Early Black Friday experiences in other parts of the country were less eventful even if they were crowded.

Discounts and special deals drew a crowd to the Bass Pro Shops in St. Louis, where patrons lined up to be the first ones through the door for the 2:30 a.m. opening. A flood of shoppers streamed through the doors, each with their sights set on big-ticket items.

Shoppers looked to scoop up deals from four-wheelers to scopes and firearms, the store durable dog toys as some hoped to win a $500 gift card.

In El Paso, Texas, a line of shoppers waited outside of the Best Buy at the Sunland Plaza waiting for the 6 a.m. opening.

Some, though, said they noticed that crowds were not as large as usual this year, leading them to speculate that online shopping is taking some of the bite out of the long lines, pushy customers and hurried shoppers typically experienced on Black Friday.

The National Retail Federation said it expects holiday sales to rise 4% this year, under the 5.4% increase in 2022.