A family is at risk of losing everything they had spent years working for after looters raid their small boutique in just a minute.
Following the shooting of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr., Black Lives Matter protests have erupted across the city of Philadelphia. Taking the distraction as an opportunity to steal, thieves have started looting stores and vandalizing buildings.
According to the reports, some two hundred small businesses were targeted by rioters and thieves whereas over one thousand looters reportedly took to the streets of Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Among affected businesses was also La’Vanter Boutique, a Black-owned store that was allegedly emptied in just under a minute.
“We are now in danger of losing everything we worked so hard for… We had everything taken from us in less than a minute,” the boutique’s owner, Jameelah Scurry, said.
As the businesswoman added, she quit her job, used all of her savings, and even sold her home in order to start the business that she could now lose because of looters.
According to Scurry, this was the second time that the store she owns together with her brother was raided by thieves. Previously, the boutique was cleaned out by robbers amid August protests.
In chilling security footage taken at the store, a large group of thieves is seen charging into the boutique before snatching clothes and ripping accessories from shelves and hangers.
“The journey was long and rough. We just came up on our two-year mark that we’ve been here. So, we were also celebrating that and our two-year mark in business,” Scurry told ABC 6 before urging people to reunite.
Following the attack on her business, Scurry started a GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise enough money to revive her business. As of this writing, people have already donated over $35,000, $20k more than the amount Scurry was hoping for.
“It’s been a real blessing. I appreciate everybody that reached out to even give us encouraging words and that are praying for us,” Scurry expressed.
Replaced!