WILD WEST: Watch: Philadelphia Rocked By Second Night Of Widespread Looting As Startling Videos Show Aftermath

The City of Brotherly Love confronted a second consecutive night of widespread looting. Videos depicted individuals, some concealed by hoodies, ransacking a beauty store and the glass windows of a liquor store, the aftermath of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s decision to close all its Philadelphia outlets.

Surveillance footage, secured by CBS News, displayed a group of women forcefully entering Nat’s Beauty Supply in Mayfair during the early hours of Thursday morning. Inside, they recklessly seized hair extensions and wigs from the store’s shelves, which Claudia Silmeas, the owner, had opened just six months ago. Silmeas expressed her distress, stating, “It’s just me doing everything. I don’t know what to think, I don’t know who to call. Everything is missing.”

Additional footage, shared online by FOX 29’s Steve Keeley, documented the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store on Adams Avenue in ruins after being targeted by an organized group of thieves. The store’s windows were shattered, scattering glass across the parking lot. Inside, the shelves were stripped bare, and broken bottles littered the floor. The culprits also absconded with a safe and a lottery machine from the state-run chain store.

Two individuals were apprehended in connection with the liquor store theft when responding officers discovered them loading merchandise into a vehicle around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, as reported by ABC 6.

These acts of vandalism unfolded despite the state Liquor Control Board shutting down all 48 of its Philadelphia stores, along with one in suburban Cheltenham, following similar break-ins at at least 18 other locations the previous night, plunging the city into chaos. While no liquor store employees were harmed on Tuesday night, they were understandably shaken, according to liquor board spokesperson Shawn Kelly.

Kelly clarified that the stores were closed in the interest of employee safety and would reopen once damage assessment and repairs were complete. As of Thursday morning, no specific reopening date had been provided.

Authorities maintained that the widespread looting was unrelated to earlier protests over a judge’s decision not to charge a police officer in the fatal shooting of a man in his car. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford asserted that organized criminal groups were exploiting the situation.

The looters targeted establishments such as Foot Locker and the Apple store near 15th and Chestnut streets on Tuesday night, as well as a Lululemon store in Rittenhouse Square. They were also accused of assaulting a security guard at a shoe store. Additionally, seven cars were stolen on Tuesday night, with only one having been recovered by Wednesday morning.

Stanford labeled the perpetrators “a group of criminal opportunists” during a Tuesday night news conference, suggesting that they had coordinated their actions via social media. The police were investigating the possibility of a caravan of different vehicles moving from one location to another, as videos online showed individuals hanging out of cars in a shopping center parking lot, seemingly giving commands to one another.

As of Thursday morning, a total of 52 arrests had been made, with all but three of the suspects being adults, according to Jane Roh, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. The ages of the suspects ranged from 14 to 37 years old, and most of them faced charges related to burglary and theft, though six individuals were charged with inciting a riot.

Among those taken into custody was Dayjia Blackwell, a social media influencer known as “Meatball,” who documented the chaos on her Instagram Stories. She was seen encouraging looters as she watched the events unfold, even challenging the police to arrest her on camera. Blackwell faced multiple charges, including burglary, criminal trespassing, conspiracy, criminal mischief, riot with the intent to commit a felony, and criminal use of a communication facility. Additionally, she received two misdemeanor charges for receiving stolen property and creating hazardous conditions.

Authorities vowed to continue making arrests until all responsible individuals were brought to justice. They also extended police shifts to address potential issues throughout the weekend. Mayor Jim Kenney pledged to collaborate with law enforcement to determine areas of the city requiring increased coverage or additional resources. He firmly stated, “This destructive and illegal behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in our city.”