Black Friday prerequisites: wallet, patience, and pepper spray? The post-Thanksgiving shopping spree has become dangerous over the years, as top retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Target attract long lines and feisty shoppers anxious for discounts. The result is nothing short of chaotic — it’s stressful to fight crowds, risk sold out products and losing sleep just to be first in line.

Things can get downright dirty during Black Friday, sometimes leading to injuries and death. According to the site Black Friday Death Count, there are now seven documented deaths and 90 injuries related to Black Friday. In an effort to keep you safe and sane this year, we’ve drawn up a list of the most dangerous stores for Black Friday shoppers.

Kohl’s

Injury – 3

Death – 0

In 2010, a transgender woman, her mother and another shopper were attacked at Kohl’s Department Store in Jackson, TN. It wasn’t clear what aggravated the attackers to push Akasha Adonis, her mother, and one other shopper to brutally assault Akasha to the point of hitting and pulling her hair and then shoving his fist into her mouth and pulling three of her teeth. The sad part about the whole incident was that the police were very uncooperative after learning that Akasha is transgender.

Outside Kohl’s in Romeoville, Illinois last year, police officers responded to an alleged shoplifting case at Kohl’s. As the officers approached the store, one of the two suspects ran out to a waiting car. One of the officers tried to stop the suspects by getting in the vehicle but before he could get in, the car drove off and the was dragged for some distance. Another responding officer shot the driver two or three times when the driver refused to stop, and shot the suspect once in the shoulder, stopping the vehicle. The dragged police officer and the driver were immediately sent to the hospital for treatment.

Target

Injury – 2

Death – 1

In 2011, two Target stores were hit with unfortunate events. In West Virginia, 61-year old Walter Vance collapsed while shopping at Target and almost went unnoticed. Vance had a previous heart condition and later died in the hospital. In Florida, a Target employee drove her car into a 20-foot deep canal after working the night shift for Black Friday.

According to reports, the woman was very exhausted after coming to work at 11PM on Thanksgiving and completing the Black Friday shift. The target employee was rescued with minimal injuries. Last year, a man coming home from Target carrying a big-screen TV was shot in the leg by a robber. The robber first fired warning shots and took the TV, but when robber was taking the TV to his vehicle, the owner of the TV wrestled the robber and that’s when he was shot in the leg. He was treated at the Sunrise Hospital.

Walmart

Injury – 33

Death – 1

The majority of the incidents reported on Black Friday happen in Walmart locations, which makes it the most dangerous retailer to shop for Black Friday. Though the incidents happen at various Walmarts, you can’t help but wonder if the retailer’s competitively low prices are driving shoppers to incident.

Here’s a list of Walmart related deaths and injuries:

• Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

• Black Friday pepper-spray attack at Walmart injures 20 as violence mars Thanksgiving sales

• Big biz, some black eyes on Black Friday

• Fights break out at Rome Walmart during Black Friday shopping

• Girl trampled in Black Friday Wal-Mart rush

• Black Friday Shoppers Hit By Suspected Drunk Driver In Walmart Parking Lot

• Two People Shot at Tallahassee Walmart Over Parking Space: Cops

• Walmart officials comfortable with security after Rialto ‘Black Friday’ brawl sends police officer to hospital

• Black Friday: Virginia Man Stabbed In Walmart Parking Lot Over Space

• Police confirm girl trampled at Wal-Mart

• Shopper Pepper Sprayed, Arrested in Argument Over TV at New Jersey Walmart

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