More than 100 teens ransack stores in Philadelphia, stealing iPhones and clothing | Watch

Chaos ensued in the American city of Philadelphia on the night of Tuesday after scores of people looted stores and vandalised public spaces. According to the police, the crowd of people mostly included juveniles who turned the neighbourhood of Center City upside down. 

The frenzy was reported to the police via calls detailing how the mob was moving toward Centre City. As per NBC10 Philadelphia, the stores that were targeted included Footlocker, Lululemon, and Apple outlets. Meanwhile, a protest was held after authorities dismissed charges against an officer who fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry last month. 

Philadelphia Police sheds light on violent incident 

However, the ruckus was not related to the peaceful demonstration held earlier in the city. Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford claimed that the miscreants used the protests to wreak havoc and damage property. "This had nothing to do with the protests. What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists," he said. 

“These were not protesters, these were criminals," he added. So far, law enforcement officials apprehended have at least 20 people who allegedly took part in the looting. Two firearms have also been recovered. With more than 100 young adults involved in the incident, the number of businesses affected remains difficult to ascertain. 

Hakeem Russell, a security guard at a store located near the Chestnut bus stop, said that the adjacent outlet was broken into and its guard was attacked. "A couple of kids decided they wanted to take full advantage of the unjust shooting that's happened. It's definitely been unrest around here since the verdict," said Russell, who works at Wendy's. 

Police condemned the looters as "disgusting" for attempting to recreate the riots of 2020 which broke out over an instance of police brutality. "Everyone in the city should be angry," Stanford said. Several other looting incidents were reported in other parts of Philadelphia, including Port Richmond. Officials believe that the group of raiders moved from one location to another throughout Tuesday night.